SC - Break Fast, Dinner, Supper...

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

I'm wondering about the daily eating habits of people in SCA period Europe.

A poster on another list mentioned the book "Fast and Feast" by 
Bridget Ann Henisch, which i have not read. According to the poster 
the book says that the ideal number of meals was two, a filling 
dinner and lighter supper around sundown. Not having read the book, i 
am not sure what time period is under discussion and where in Europe 
this is.

I also understand that the standard breaking of the nighttime fast 
was late in the morning, 10 or 11 or so.

When i lived in France in the early 1970's, the French people i knew 
claimed the French didn't eat breakfast during the week; they said 
they ate no meal until lunch. In my observation, they had cafe au 
lait - a big bowl of milky coffee - and bread with butter and/or jam 
before they left for work - but, no, this wasn't breakfast, according 
to them. Then around 10 or so, they'd stop work and eat bread and 
sausage-type meats, maybe some olives or fruit, and something to 
drink - although they made fun of the American coffee break. Then 
around noon they ate their *first* meal of the day, lunch. Yeah, 
right, uh-huh. So, although the official line is "no early morning 
meal until lunch", in fact they ate the equivalent of at least one 
meal before lunch. I know this is my modern experience, but, well...

Given the portability of things like bread, cheese, dried sausages, 
fruit, etc., i am guessing that in the Medieval and Renaissance 
periods people at work, travelling, or at play (sport hunting, for 
example) would have had the opportunity to eat, albeit not at an 
official "meal" (since they're not sitting at a dining table). So 
perhaps the "two meals" policy only refers to sit-down meals at a 
table with others.

Would i be far off base assuming that although two meal were 
"prescribed", people of the Medieval and Renaissance periods had more 
than two opportunities to eat during a day?

Anahita al-shazhiyya
who knows that reality does not always follow the party line