The 29th of May is End of the Middle Ages Day. This could be an interesting day to have some friends over to sample some medieval food, and to try some mead!
Medieval Food
Medieval Food
At some point in the early Middle Ages, as Germanic cultures prevailed over southern cultures, the rich abandoned the Greek and Roman custom of lying on sofas at banquets, and sat upright instead. This freed up the other hand for cutting and made more utensils possible. Impressing guests at banquets in the Middle Ages was…
Murri
Murri was a fermented sauce that was used a great deal in Arabic cooking, mostly used from the 1200s to the 1400s. It wasn’t meant to be consumed on its own, or used at the table; its strong, salty taste made it ideal for use as a cooking ingredient in small amounts. It was used…
Pepper
Pepper © Randal Oulton Pepper is a spice grows on a vine that grows anywhere from 12 to 20 feet (3.5 to 6 metres.) It has a woody stem, and produces white flowers which in turn produce peppercorns as fruit. Peppercorns start off green, and when ripe, turn red. Different colours of peppercorns and pepper…
Pokerounce
Pokerounce is an English Medieval bread dish that we could now class as a dessert. To make it, heat slowly in a pan honey with spices such as cinnamon, ground ginger and galangal, being careful not to let the honey boil. Cut a slice of toast into four, pour the warm honey sauce over the…
Spices
Spices can be almost any part of a plant used for flavouring or aromatic purposes: the bark, the seed, the fruit, the bud, the root, the flower, even a secretion from the plant. Leaves, however, are classified as herbs.
Verjuice
Verjuice is unfermented grape juice made from unripe green grapes. It is very acidic, making it tart like sour apples, but less tart and acidic than vinegar. It is currently enjoying a small amount of popularity, as it can be used in places where vinegar can’t be. A salad with a vinaigrette dressing can’t be…
Zedoary
Zedoary is a perennial herb plant related to Turmeric and Ginger. It grows in tropical and subtropical areas.Above ground, the plant grows up to 3 feet (1 metre) in height with dark green leaves. When it flowers, it produces small pink and yellow blossoms. The underground root (which is actually a “rhizome” like ginger), is…