FoodandSpoonsfromLongAgo1

RebeccaCarpenter
ProfessorSchrecongost
English111
12/6/15
FoodandSpoonsfromLongAgo
Afamilysitsaroundtheirmahoganydinnertableastheytuckintotheirsupperaftera
longday.Thesmallestofthechildrenexamineshisspoonproudlyandremembersthatitwasnot
allthatlongagothathehadusedonlyhishandstoeatwith,nowhewasabigboy.Itdidnt
occurtohim,anditprobablyshouldntconsideringhisageandmindset,thatwaybackwhen
beforethe16thcenturypeopleweremostlydoingthesamething.Italsoprobablydidntoccurto
himhowthosepeoplehadthoughtaboutthedifferentvarietiesoffoodorwhatspecialremedies
theycouldmakewiththem.Heisjustakidafterall,butonedayhemightjustbecomecurious
andreadaboutitinabook.Itwouldbeabookaboutfood,whocouldresistthat?Acrosstime
andspacepeoplehavebeensalivatingoverdelectablemorsels,ofwhichtheyhaveprepared
themselves.Cookinghasbeenaroundforever,itwouldhavetobeorelsepeoplewouldstarveto
deathordieofdiseasesfromconsumingrawmeatandsuch.Thoughcookingisveryadvanced
todayinbothtechniqueandsanitation,itwasnotsobackintheMiddleAges.Foodwasabig
partoftheMiddleAges,peopleusedutensilslikespoonstoeatfoodthattheypreparedand
cookedthemselvesSomefoodwaseventomakethesickfeelbetterlikebarleywhichisfor
peoplewhofeeloutofsorts.
Thetypeoffoodplayedamajorrolemedievalpeopleslives.Formostpeopleinthe
MiddleAges,thefoodtheyatedependedonwhatwasatthemarkets,whattheycouldafford,

FoodandSpoonsfromLongAgo2

andwhattheygrewintheirgardens(Elliott,2004).PeopleintheMiddleAgesrankedeverything
accordingtoimportance,evenfood.Anythingofgreatimportancewasclosesttoheaven,the
closestorbestbeingthingsthatflewintheskyandclouds(Elliott,2004).Thesefoodsinclude
cranespheasantsandotherbirds,thelowestrankingfoodiswhatwasgrownintheground
farthestfromheaven(Elliott,2004).Thesefoodswereonions,turnipsandmostothervegetables.
Noblesdidnoteatrawvegetablesbecausetheythoughtthattheywouldbeharmful(McFarnon,
2015).Thefoodsthatwerethehighestrankingappearedatthenoblestables,whilewhatwas
consideredthelowestfoodwasservedatpeasantstables(Elliott,2004).Afterthevegetablesthe
foodfromtreesandbusheslikeberriesandpears,thenfoodfromtheearthsuchasanimalslike
cows,sheepandpigs.Lastly,therewasfoodfromtheoceanslikesalmon,clams,andother
aquaticlife(Elliot,2004).Atfeastsandbanquetsonlythehostandimportantguestswereserved
byservants.Thepeopleoflesserimportanceservedthemselvesfromoilandvinegarfromcruets,
dishesofpottage,saucesfromsaucers,andlargeplattersofmeatandfish(Bhote,2004).Huge,
thickcutpiecesofbread,calledtrenchers,hadthesamefunctionasplates,aftereveryonehad
eatentheywereeitherroundeduptofeedthepoorerpeopleordrenchedingravyandeatenas
well(Bhote,2004).
TheMiddleAgeswasntsouncivilizedtowherenooneusedutensilstoeatorcookwith
theyhadknives,spoonsandplateslikewedonow.Peopleusuallyatewitheithertheirfingersor
aspoon(Bhote,2004).Alittleknifewasusedtocutmeattoeat,mostpeoplecarriedaknife
aroundwiththemasausefultoolanduseditwheneating(Bhote,2004).Thisisbecausethe
hostsofthemealdidnotprovideutensilsfortheirguests(TheHistoryofDiningUtensils,
2011).Thecookshadaplaceorstationtogeteverythingaccomplished.Thebestcooks,intheir

FoodandSpoonsfromLongAgo3

essaysontheculinaryarts,stressedtheabsolutenecessityofkeepingallutensilsspotless
(Johnston,2011).
Theutensilspeopleusedtoeatanddrinksaidalotabouthowwealthytheywere,poor
peopleusedutensilsmadeoutofwoodtheyfoundlyingaround(Bhote,20004).Interestingly
enough,thewordSpoonactuallycomesfromtheAngloSaxonwordSpon,whichmeansachip
ofwood(Fryxell,2010).Fromseashellstogourds,tosectionsofbambooandwood,spoons
appearedinmanyformsineveryregion(TheHistoryofUtensils,2008).Spoonsandcups
couldevenbemadeoutofanimalhorns,whilelargeritemslikejugsandpotscouldbemadeout
ofearthenware,atypeofpottery,andpaintedwithpatterns(Bhote,2004).Objectsmadeofmetal
andglassweremuchmoreexpensiveandcouldonlybepurchasedbyrichpeople(Bhote,2004).
Atsomeroyalbanquets,theimportantguestsatewithutensilsmadeofgoldandsilverandwere
servedfromlargeplattersandjugsdecoratedwithpreciousjewelsandengravings(Bhote,2004).
Akitcheninacottageonlyhadtheutensilsthatwasmostrequired,everyonehadthe
needofametalpot,thatconsistedofeitherironorbrass,alidwasalsoneeded(Johnston,2011).
Themostfundamentalcauldronpossessedthreelegsandtwohandles,anditcouldbehungbya
beamonhooksandchainsthesecauldronswereprobablyusuallycopperalloys,eitherbronzeor
brass(Johnston,2011).Theywereamajorinvestmentforapoorhousehold,andwhenthey
finallybroke,theywerealmostalwaysmendedbyitineranttinkersorcoppersmithsintown
(Johnston,2011).Everycookneededstirringandladlingutensils,andthesimplestwerehand
carvedoutofwood,howeverkniveswerethemostdesiredhandheldutensils(Johnston,2011).
Peopleseverydayfoodlikepottagewouldhavebeeneatenfromwoodenorearthenwarebowls,
wealthypeopleusedmetalbowls,andthesamebowlcouldbeusedtodrinkaleaswell(Bhote,

FoodandSpoonsfromLongAgo4

2004).Mazersweresmall,shallowbowlsusedtodrinkwineandale,theycouldbemadeof
woodsuchasmaple,orbemadefrommetal.Gobletsandglassesweregenerallyusedtodrink
wine(Bhote,2004).
Foodscomfortsapersonandkeepsthemhealthyandstrong,dependingonthequalityof
course,weuserecipestohelpusgetbetterwhenweareunwelllikechickensoupandcrackers.
TheMiddleAgesisnoexceptiontothismindset,astheytoofedtheirsickspecialmealstohelp
themgetbetter.Eventhesick,thosewhowerestillweakfromarecentillnessordisease,
requiresspecialfoodsthatwerebothreadilydigestibleandnutritious(Scully,1995).As
Hippocratessaid,Letfoodbethymedicine,andthymedicinebefood.
Barleywasregardedasanidealfoodforanyonewhowasoutofsorts.Barleywas
understoodtopossessatemperamentthatwascoolanddryatthesametime,awarm,moist
brothmadeofitwasseenaslendingitselfideallytothetreatmentofthosewhowere
recuperatingfromafever(Scully,1995).CreamofBarleysoupisverysuitableforsickpeople,
andBarleyWateriscleansing,nutritiousandeasytodigestitisgivenwithexcellentresultsto
thesickpeoplewithfeverstoquenchtheirthirstandalleviatecoughswhilecleansingthelungs
(Scully,1995).Itisevengivenalonetopeoplewithreallyhotfevers,anditismixedwithhoney
andfennelforpeoplewhopossesthechills.Barleythatiscookedwithfigsmixedwithboiled
honeyisgivenforcoldandmoistfeversintheformofadrink(Scully,1995).
Othercerealgrainssuchaswheatwererecognizedaspossessingideallytemperate
qualitiesandnourishingvirtues.Wheatbranplasterwillreducetheswellingandrelievethepain
ofbreastsengorgedwithtoomuchmilk,itisalsogoodfortreatingsnakebitesandthebitesof

FoodandSpoonsfromLongAgo5

anyothervenomousanimals(Scully,1995).Thatwouldbeagoodthingtorememberthenext
timesomeoneendsupstrandedinajungleordesertfilledwithdangerouscreatures.
Chickenwasthoughtofbyphysiciansasallaroundproblemsolverswhenitcomesto
feedingthesick.Chickshaveafleshthatismoretemperate,itdigestseasier,anditengenders
betterbloodthatgivesmorestrengthandismorecloselysuitedtohumannaturethanany
domesticfowl(Scully,1995).Forthesereasonstheyareeatenbythosewhohavewasted,or
whosestomachisweak,orwhoarejustrecuperatingfromanillness.Theroosterisbetterthan
thehenbecauseitusesmuscleswhilecrowingmakingitsfleshlessthick,anditismoremoist,
warmer,andmoretemperate(Scully,1995).Hensflesh,beforeitbeginslayingeggs,isless
moistthanthatofthechick,itdigestsrapidly,butwhenitdigestswellitnourisheswell(Scully,
1995).Otherpoultry,suchascapons,wereoftenconsideredtobejustasvaluableingredientsin
sickdishes,althoughinthepreparingandcookingofthemtheirslightlydifferentnatureshadto
betakenintoaccount(Scully,1995).Whenthemedievalcookorhousewifehadasickmember
ofthehouseholdonhandtofeed,heorsheusuallyreachedforachickenandmadeupamash,a
broth,acullisoradistillateofitsmeatandjuices(Scully,1995).
Inconclusion,foodwasabigpartoftheMiddleAges,itwasbasicallyeverythingto
them.Theyconsumeditaftertheyslavedawaycookingandpreparingitthemselves,andif
someoneissickinthefamilytheycanusecertainfoodstohelplightentheburdenoftheailment
ifnotcureitcompletely.Thereweremanydifferentutensilsforbothcookingthefoodandeating
thefood,bothindifferentmaterialsdependinghowrichorpoorthepeoplewere.Cookinghas
beenaroundforever,itwouldhavetobeorelsepeoplewouldstarvetodeathordieofdiseases

FoodandSpoonsfromLongAgo6

fromconsumingrawmeatandsuch.Thoughcookingisveryadvancedtodayinbothtechnique
andsanitation,itwasnotsobackinthemiddleagesthatmuchiscertain.

WorksCited

Bhote,T.Medievalfeastsandbanquets.NewYork,NY:TheRosenPublishingGroup.2004.
Elliot,L.Foodandfeastsinthemiddleages.NewYork,NY:CrabtreePublishing
Company.2004.
Fryxell,DavidA.HistoryMatters:Cutlery.FamilyTreeMagazine.22December2010.Print.
AHistoryofDiningUtensils.AskAndyAboutClothes.
www.askandyaboutclothes.com/lifestyle/thehistoryofdiningutensils/.9November
2011.
TheHistoryofUtensils(SporkIncluded).MentalFloss.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/20287/historyutensilssporkincluded.5December2008.
Johnston,R.A.Allthingsmedieval.SantaBarbara,California:RuthA.Johnston.2011.
McFarnon,Emma.Whatdidpeopleinthetudoreat.BBCHistoryMagazine.7April2015.
Print.
Scully,T.Theartofcookery.Woodbridge:BoydellPress.1995.