![]() The grains were boiled whole in a soup or stew, ground into flour and made into bread, or malted and brewed into ale. For the majority of the of the people, peasants, a large portion of their daily diet was made up of grains such as wheat, rye, oats or barley(carbohydrates). Fasting and abstaining from eating meat was practised for over half the days of the Medieval year.The European medieval diet was largely determined by social class. ![]() Meat was also declined on the eves of many religious holidays. Meat was also banned during the religious seasons of Lent and Advent. Certain religious observances banned the eating of meat on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. People of the Middle Ages were highly religious and at certain times the eating of meat was banned. Communal ovens were available in villages for baking. The 'Ploughman's Lunch' of bread and cheese was also a staple diet of Lower Class workers. Biscuits were invented by the Crusaders and these were eaten as a convenience food by the workers of the Middle Ages. The poor could not afford to buy the spices so enjoyed by the wealthy. The Lower Classes ate rye and barley bread. The punishment for poaching could result in death or having hands cut off, so the Lower Classes would only poach if they were desperate. The staple diet of the lower classes were bread, pottage ( a type of stew), dairy products such as milk and cheese products and meats such as beef, pork or lamb. Middle Ages Daily Meals for the Lower Classes These expensive spices consumed by the wealthy included Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Ginger, Saffron, Cardamon (aka Cardamom ), Coriander, Cumin, Garlic, Turmeric, Mace, Anise, Caraway and Mustard. A type of bread called Manchet, which was a bread loaf made of wheat flour, was consumed by the Upper classes. Only vegetables such as rape, onions, garlic and leeks graced a Noble's table. Food items which came from the ground were only are considered fit for the poor. Only Lords and Nobles were allowed to hunt deer, boar, hares and rabbits and these foods were therefore used in the daily meals of the nobility. Vegetables were limited for the Upper Classes. The daily meals for the Upper Classes during the Middle Ages provided a huge variety of different types of food. ![]() Middle Ages Daily Meals for the Upper Classes Supper - Was a substantial meal and food and drink was generally served between 6 -7 and accompanied by various forms of entertainment.Dinner - Food and drink generally served at mid-morning between 12 - 2.Breakfast - Food and drink generally served between 6 -7.This change extended to food preparation and presentation resulting in fabulous food arrangements and exotic colors and flavorings. A change in culture emerged during the Middle Ages when the travel prompted by the Crusades led to a new and unprecedented interest in beautiful objects and elegant manners. Menus for the wealthy were extensive, but only small portions were taken. Both the Upper and Lower classes generally had three meals a day but the commoners obviously far less elaborate than the Upper Classes. ![]() The nobility had acquired a taste for spicy and also sweet foods and they could afford the expensive spices and sugar required to create these exotic recipes. The number of courses and variety of Middle Ages foods consumed by the Upper Classes included ingredients which were far too expensive for the majority of English people. The quantity, quality and type of food consumed by Royalty and Nobility differed considerably from the diet of the Lower Classes. Cooking and Foods during the Medieval era.Interesting Facts and information about Middle Ages Daily Meals.
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