Medieval Food :: Food Historical Essays

Medieval Food Food is something that all people have always and will always need to consume in order to survive and thrive. Not only this, but it is also has an important societal function. Food is an important part of celebrations and sometimes dictates roles in societies. In Medieval society food was important for banquets, what was eaten by a person could denote what class a person was from, and was often mentioned in the literature. For my project I presented desserts, bread, and a couple of drinks. As far as the bread is concerned I made one loaf using beer and one loaf using water. The desserts were a strawberry tart, and Daryols, which is basically a custard or pudding pie. I also made two alcohol drinks, Mead, though very weak, and spiced wine. Food is commonly mentioned throughout Old English and Medieval literature. In â€Å"Beowulf†, much of the action revolves around the mead hall where great banquets are held. In â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†, the poem begins in the banquet hall and the Green knight first appears before King Arthur and his guests at a feast. Since most of the recipes which I used are from the 14th century I focused most of the literary aspect of my presentation on Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"Canterbury Tales.† First of all the whole reason that the pilgrims tell their tales is because the inn keeper agrees to give the teller of the best story a free dinner at the end of the pilgrimage. Three characters, in particular, are described in the general prologue in relation to food, the nun or prioress, the franklin, and not surprisingly the cook. â€Å"Canterbury Tales† characters The Nun or Prioress is on page 218 of the Norton Anthology of English Literature, seventh edition volume one. Her passage discusses her impeccable manners. The Franklin is on page 223 of the Norton Anthology of English Literature, seventh edition volume one. His passage discusses his grand hall and all of the food he always has on hand and ready to eat in case someone shows up. The Cook is on page 224 of the Norton Anthology of English Literature, seventh edition volume one. This description discusses all of the utensils that the cook brought and what he plans to cook while the pilgrims walk across England.