SC - period welsh food

[ND Wederstrandt]

Concerning Welsh food (celtic)

This is from a little booklet I have called, "Food of the Bards" by Enid
Roberts,D.Brown & Sons,IMAGE Publishers, Cardiff, 1982.  This is actually
an overview of food in Welsh Poetry from 1350 - 1650.  The translations of
the Welsh poems are verly reliable and they have listed sections of poems
containing descriptions of foods and what was served.  Since poets tened to
flatter people that could pay them, these are descriptions of upper middle
and nobility.
        They list venison from deer and roebuck, brawn (muscle meat from
boars and pigs), Bream ( a fish).  They ate(as of the 16th century) rabbits
(a lot), birds, bitterns, herons, swans, curlews (only nobles could eat
these) geese and fish.
Non meat items included white bread, frumenty, vegetables, oranges, apples,
walnuts, pears, pomegranites, wafers and sugar.  Drinks were mead and wine.
I included a few of the verses.
        "Fish, birds baked in bread,
        Pasties and well-mellowed wine.
                        Lewys Glyn Cothi, 15th cent.
"A sauce made of measures of gushing vinegar,
Strong chives, Pretty Nancy, parlsey, thyme,
Sorrel and dittany and raspberry leaves."
                        Ieuan ap Rhydderch, mid 15th cent
"Dishes of many vegetables,
Courses of many dishes, and white sugar."
                        Lewys Glyn Cothi, mid 15th cent

Clare