Renaissance+food+and+drinks

Renaissance Time Food and Drinks

During Renaissance times, thoughts, and traditions were very different. Back then, Renaissance people were judged on how wealthy or poor they were (Elliot 5-6). Wealthy people had servants and better nutrition while the poorer people had no servants and low ranking food (Topics). Their opinions about food were very different. As shown through there way of preserving and preparing food. Also the connection betweenfood and socia status.

In Renaissance times preserving and preparing food was very interesting. Preserving food was important. To preserve meat they either placed it in salt (Topics). The meat was then hung up on hooks to dry (Topics). After it was dry, they would store it in barrels. (Topics). The food lasted up to three months without spoiling (Elliot 6). Vegetables were kept in brine, vinegar or mustard (Elliot). Fruit and herbs were dried in the hot sun (Topics). As previously stated they preserved food in salt a lot, which means they had to make salt (Mason 35). Some ways were to mine for the salt, bring it from salt springs, or use salt water and let the water evaporate (Elliot 6).

Food and social status were also important. Social status was chosen by wealth and family (Mason 34-36). Social status was determined by birth and marraige (Mason 34-36). According to the people in Renaissance times, ”The highest ranking or best foods flew in the sky close to heaven and the lowest ranking foods grew on the ground farthest away from heaven”(Elliot 6). Back then ‘Only the wealthy could indulge in extravagant dishes” (Mason 35). The kitchens were not built for the kings, but to feed six-hundred or more members of the court. (The Tudor). The members of the court ate there twice a day (Topics). Some of the food that almost everyone ate or cooked with was potatoes, turkey, peppers, corn and lettuce. (Eating). As for drinks, wine and beer were very popular (Elliot 5). Wine was mostly drunk in the south Beer was mostly drunk in the north, although because of trade some wine was drunk in the north (Elliot 5-6).

By today’s standards, these beliefs about food and drinks in the Renaissance era seem odd. People today don’t think any food is better than the other because of where it’s grown or where it’s from. Reniassanc people didn’t have McDonalds drive throughs to go run by and pick up a cheeseburger. The people were very traditional; they would all eat together at the same time everyday. People today take advantage of fast food places because they don’t have meals together at home a lot. This is important because eating at home gives quality time with family.

Potage from Meat
//Take lean meat and let it boil, then cut it up finely and cook it again for half an hour in rich juice, having first added bread crumbs. Add a little pepper and saffron.// //When it has cooled a little, add beaten eggs, grated cheese, parsley, marjoram, finely chopped mint with a little verjuice. Blend them all together in a pot, stirring them slowly with a spoon so that they do not form a ball. The same may be done with livers and lungs.// Bring meat and water to a boil and cook 10 minutes; take meat out and cut up small; put back in water with broth, bread crumbs, pepper, and saffron. Simmer 1/2 hour over low flame, being careful that it does not stick. Mix in remaining ingredients; cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. This makes about 10 cups. This is a rather meat-rich version; it also works with as little as half this much meat(Tudor).
 * 2 1/3 lb stewbeef
 * 4 c water"Rich juice":
 * 31 oz (3 cans) concentrated beef broth
 * 1 1/2 c dry bread crumbs
 * 3/4 t pepper
 * 8 threads saffron
 * 5 eggs
 * 1 1/2 c grated cheese
 * (~ 7 oz)3/8 c chopped parsley
 * 3/4 t dried or 1 t fresh marjoram
 * 1 1/2 T chopped fresh mintverjuice:
 * 3 T wine vinegar
 * 1 t salt (to taste)

= **Cheese and Flour Cake** = //Knead the necessary quantity of flour, one time with water, another with oil, and to it add yeast and milk until it has the same consistency as the dough of fritters, and leave it until it has next risen. Next grease with oil a large earthen pot, stretch in it a piece of dough, and over it a bit of cheese, and over the cheese a bit of dough, and so a little of one, and a bit of the other until the last of the dough and cheese. Next cover it with dough as you did in the previous recipe and cook it in the same way in the oven. Afterwards, drizzle it with honey, sprinkle it with sugar and pepper and eat it.// Knead flour and water to a very dry dough, mix warm milk and yeast, let sit five minutes, add oil to dough, knead in. Knead milk and yeast into the dough for about 5-10 minutes, until fairly uniform. Leave 45 minutes to rise in a warm place. Divide dough in about 8 equal portions, flour and pat, stretch, or roll out to size of pan (about 4"x7"); if you roll it out you can use 12 equal portions. Layer with sliced cheese. Bake 45 minutes at 350deg. . Drizzle the honey over it. Serve with mixed sugar and pepper for the guests to sprinkle over to taste. This should probably be done with sourdough instead of yeast, but we have not tried it that way yet(Tudor).
 * 2 c flour (1/3 whole wheat)
 * 1/2-3/4 c water
 * 3 T oil
 * 1 1/2 t yeast
 * 3 T milk
 * 12 oz cheese
 * 6 T honey
 * 1 T sugar
 * 1/4 t pepper

Works Cited

"Eating in the Renaissance." //school.net.au//. N.p., 1992. Web. 13 Mar 2012. [].

"The Tudor Kitchens." //Historic Royal Places//. HIstoric Royal Places, 2012. Web. 14 Mar 2012. [].

"Topics in Tudor History." N.p., 02 01 2011. Web. 13 Mar 2012. []