[SamAdams76]

[Sacajaweau]

https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/food-in-elizabethan-england#

[SanchoP]

Amazon free books are excellent on how to test meat.

[Fiddlstix]

Bookmark

[Larry Lucido]

I imagine it’s not fresh any more.

[AZJeep]

THis is Anglocentric.
Different countries in Europe had different customs.
E.G. Scandinavia had enough wildlife relative to population, everybody was allowed to hunt.
Villagers in Central Europe used to share meat. Somebody in village slaughtered pig or cow, the whole village had a feast. That way they could eat the whole animal before it spoiled. As the hosts circulated, it evened out. And even the poorest got some! Provided you were not an asocial!
Horse meat was readily consumed. Donkeys in South. Pigeons.
Otters were allowed as fish substitute Friday (they taste like fish)

[jerod]

So what you’re saying is... There weren’t a lot of vegans back in the day, or... If you’re alive today, it’s likely that your ancestors ate meat and weren’t vegetarians.

[bigbob]

Some time in the pillory would seem to be a good cure for many urban diseases

[MinorityRepublican]

Went there last year before the 'Rona Shutdown.

[JimRed]

Those who could afford spices used them liberally to enhance the flavor of meat and fish. Those who could not afford spices used other flavorings like garlic, onion, vinegar and a variety of herbs grown throughout Europe. The use of spices and their importance has contributed to the misconception that it was common to use them to disguise the taste of rotten meat.

No amount of spice can cover the taste of rotten meat. But it can cover up the odor of stale or spoiled meat or fish.