SC - Thoughts on Medieval food

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/2/99 6:37:48 AM Eastern Standard Time, meadhbh at io.com
writes:

<< but
 i do believe fish could be consumed so it wasn't totally vegetarian).
 
 
 meadhbh >>

Actually, the fish day choices were extremely varied for those who could
afford it and included whale (fresh and dried), dolphin, porpoise, seal, fetal
rabbits, fish of many kinds including farm raised carp, some birds such as
ducks and geese (depending on the time period and the current interpration of
the church), shellfish (oysters, etc. were packed in salt), etc. Vegetables
would have been extremely limited to root crops such as carrots (white or
red), turnips and other root crops (which could be stored), fresh greens and
podded peas (in season), dried beans, etc. Even then the vast majority of
vegetables were cooked in and served with meat brotyh although  we do have
recipes which suggest the use of almond milk in place of broth on fish days.

Vegetarianism as a way of life was limited to the rare religious recluse and
was not something ordinary folk, peasant or noble, would have indulged in. IF
period cookery cookery was based on the humoral theory as many believe then
the eclusive consumption of vegies would have been considered VERY unhealthly.

Ras

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