SC - Bread and Circuses

[James L. Matterer]

> > And, FWIW, the whole cheese/bread/butter thing at the beginning of a
> > meal seems to be way off prevailing medieval European medical theory
> > (dairy products, especially cheeses and cheese dishes, would normally be
> > served at or near the end of the meal to close the chest and stomach up
> > while digesting, and I've seen no evidence of butter being spread on
> > bread in medieval Europe, and some evidence to suggest it was not).
> 
> > Adamantius
> 

As for cheese, John Russell (Boke of Nurtute) says that it is "hard
cheese" that should be restricted to the end of the meal, not all
cheeses or dairy products. In fact, he recommends that cheese be served
with the very first items of a dinner.

Before dinner Russel says you should serve:
"Good sone, alle maner frute that longethe for seson of the yere,
Fygges, reysons, almaundes, dates, butur, chese, nottus, apples & pere."

After dinner should be:
"Aftur mete, peeres, nottys, strawberies, wyneberies, and hardcheese."

Furnivall (editor of Boke of Nurture) says that the cheese used in the
beginning may be butter-cheese, milk-cheese, or cream-cheese, as
contrasted with hardcheese. Butter was considered a separate item.

Huen
- -- 
A Boke of Gode Cookery
http://www.labs.net/dmccormick/huen.htm
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