Food in Medieval Times

284 Pages·2004·1.22 MB·english

by  Melitta Weiss Adamson

Food in Medieval Times
Recent Titles in
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Food in Medieval
Times
Melitta Weiss Adamson
Food through History
Greenwood Press
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Adamson, Melitta Weiss.
Food in medieval times / Melitta Weiss Adamson.
p. cm.––(Food through history ISSN 1542–8087)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0–313–32147–7
1. Cookery, Medieval. 2. Cookery––Europe––History. I. Title. II. Series.
TX641.A33 2004
641.3´0094´0902––dc22 2004014054
British Library Cataloging in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2004 by Melitta Weiss Adamson
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2004014054
ISBN: 0–313–32147–7
ISSN: 1542–8087
First published in 2004
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vii
Timeline ix
Introduction xvii
1. Foodstuffs 1
Grains 1
Legumes 5
Vegetables 6
Herbs 11
Spices 15
Fruits 19
Nuts 24
Condiments 26
Domestic and Wild Animals 30
Fish 39
Dairy Products 45
Beverages 48
2. Food Preparation 55
3. Cuisines by Region 83
Britain 90
France 101
Spain 115
CONTENTS
Italy 124
Germany 131
The Low Countries 141
4. Eating Habits and Food Ideas 155
5. Food and Religion 181
6. Concepts of Diet and Nutrition 205
Conclusion 233
Glossary 237
Suggested Further Readings 239
Subject Index 245
Recipe Index 257
vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Any book that covers a topic as broad as this depends on the work of
more than just one person. First I must thank the generations of
scholars who in endless hours unearthed, catalogued, deciphered,
transcribed, edited, translated, and analyzed all the different sources,
and brought to light a wealth of information, part of which found its
way into the present volume. I must also thank my teachers and col-
leagues who over the years have supported me in my research on food
and nutrition in the Middle Ages, Helmut Birkhan, Gundolf Keil,
Constance Hieatt, Terence Scully, Trude Ehlert, Carole Lambert,
Gerhard Jaritz, and many others. They patiently answered my many
queries, shared with me published and unpublished material, and gen-
erously contributed their time and expertise to various collaborative
efforts from which this book benefited greatly.
My thanks also go to the University of Western Ontario for foster-
ing cross-disciplinary teaching and research, and for granting me a
sabbatical in which to finish the book. Thanks too to all the libraries
that helped me in my research and allowed me to work with some of
their most prized possessions, the original medieval manuscripts. I am
especially grateful to the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna
for permission to use illustrations from its famous manuscript collec-
tion in this book.
My sincere thanks go to Wendi Schnaufer at Greenwood Press for
her enthusiasm, constructive feedback, and especially her patience
while the work was in progress. It was a time of unexpected challenges
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
in my life, and among those who helped me overcome them were my
friends Susan, Cécile, Kathy, Angela, Laurence, Frank, Ina, and Jing.
Thank you all.
Finally, I wish to thank my family, who put up with me during all
those months when my mind was elsewhere. Special thanks go to my
husband Alan, whose moral support and computer expertise were as
invaluable as ever.
viii
TIMELINE
541 The Roman-Byzantine world is in the grips of the Great
(bubonic) Plague of Justinian that brings farming to a
halt and causes famine in Europe, the Middle East, and
Asia. It is to last for nearly 70 years.
550–650 A new, lightweight plow equipped with a coulter (knife
blade) and pulled by eight oxen is invented by the Slavs.
The new agriculture leads to a population explosion in
northern and western Europe.
610 A new faith, to be called Islam, is preached secretly by
the prophet Muhammad.
629 The sharia, a complex legal system, is recognized by
Muslims. Pork, animals of prey, and intoxicating bever-
ages are among the foodstuffs Muslims are forbidden to
consume.
687 Venice begins its rise to power in the Mediterranean,
and elects its first doge (person holding the chief office
in the city-state of Venice).
700–800 Oriental spices are introduced by Arab merchants into
Mediterranean markets.
711 Arabs and Berbers from North Africa invade the Iberian
Peninsula and defeat the Visigoths. New methods in
agriculture introduced by them include intensive irriga-
tion, the use of animal droppings as fertilizers, im-