Posted on 01/03/2021 1:26:45 PM PST by SamAdams76
Depending on their status in society and where they lived, medieval people had a variety of meats to enjoy. But thanks to Fridays, Lent, and various days deemed meatless by the Catholic Church, even the wealthiest and most powerful people did not eat meat or poultry every day. Fresh fish was fairly common, not only in coastal regions, but inland, where rivers and streams were still teeming with fish in the Middle Ages, and where most castles and manors included well-stocked fish ponds.
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. However, this was an uncommon practice perpetrated by underhanded butchers and vendors who, if caught, would pay for their crime.
Meat in Castles and Manor Homes
A large portion of the foodstuffs served to the residents of castles and manor homes came from the land on which they lived. This included wild game from nearby forests and fields, meat and poultry from the livestock they raised in their pastureland and barnyards, and fish from stock ponds as well as from the rivers, streams, and seas. Food was used swiftly and if there were leftovers, they were gathered up as alms for the poor and distributed daily.
Occasionally, meat procured ahead of time for large feasts for the nobility would have to last a week or so before being eaten. Such meat was usually a large wild game like deer or boar. Domesticated animals could be kept on the hoof until the feast day drew near, and smaller animals could be trapped and kept alive, but the big game had to be hunted and butchered as the opportunity arose, sometimes from lands several days' travel away from the big event. There was often concern from those overseeing such victuals that the meat might go off before it came time to serve it, and so measures were usually taken to salt the meat to prevent rapid deterioration. Instructions for removing outer layers of meat that had gone bad and making wholesome use of the remainder have come down to us in extant cooking manuals.
Be it the most sumptuous of feasts or the more modest daily meal, it was the lord of the castle or manor, or the highest-ranking resident, his family, and his honored guests who would receive the most elaborate dishes and, consequently, the finest portions of meat. The lower the status of the other diners, the further away from the head of the table, and the less impressive their food. This could mean that those of low rank did not partake of the rarest type of meat, or the best cuts of meats, or the most fancily-prepared meats, but they ate meat nonetheless.
Meat for Peasants and Village-Dwellers
Peasants rarely had much fresh meat of any kind. It was illegal to hunt in the lord's forest without permission, so, in most cases, if they had game it would have been poached, and they had every reason to cook it and dispose of the remains the very same day it was killed. Some domestic animals such as cows and sheep were too large for everyday fare and were reserved for the feasts of special occasions like weddings, baptisms, and harvest celebrations.
Chickens were ubiquitous, and most peasant families (and some city families) had them, but people would enjoy their meat only after their egg-laying days (or hen-chasing days) were over. Pigs were popular and could forage just about anywhere, and most peasant families had them. Still, they weren't numerous enough to slaughter every week, so the most were made of their meat by turning it into long-lasting ham and bacon. Pork, which was popular in all levels of society, would be an unusual meal for peasants.
Fish could be had from the sea, rivers, and streams if there were any nearby, but, as with hunting the forests, the lord could claim the right to fish a body of water on his lands as part of his demesne. Fresh fish was not often on the menu for the average peasant.
A peasant family would usually subsist on pottage and porridge, made from grain, beans, root vegetables and pretty much anything else they could find that might taste good and provide sustenance, sometimes enhanced with a little bacon or ham.
Meat in Religious Houses
Most rules followed by monastic orders limited the consumption of meat or forbade it altogether, but there were exceptions. Sick monks or nuns were allowed the meat to aid their recovery. The elderly were allowed meat the younger members were not, or were given greater rations. The abbot or abbess would serve meats to guests and partake, as well. Often, the entire monastery or convent would enjoy meat on feast days. And some houses allowed meat every day but Wednesday and Friday.
Of course, fish was an entirely different matter, being the common substitute for meat on meatless days. How fresh the fish would be depended on whether or not the monastery had access to, and fishing rights in, any streams, rivers or lakes.
Because monasteries or convents were mostly self-sufficient, the meat available to the brothers and sisters was pretty much the same as that served in a manor or castle, although the more common foodstuffs like chicken, beef, pork, and mutton would be more likely than swan, peacock, venison or wild boar.
Meat in Towns and Cities
In towns and small cities, many families had enough land to support a little livestock, usually a pig or some chickens, and sometimes a cow. The more crowded the city was, however, the less land there was for even the most modest forms of agriculture, and the more foodstuffs had to be imported. Fresh fish would be readily available in coastal regions and in towns by rivers and streams, but inland towns could not always enjoy fresh seafood and might have to settle for preserved fish.
City dwellers usually purchased their meat from a butcher, often from a stall in a marketplace but sometimes in a well-established shop. If a housewife bought a rabbit or duck to roast or use in a stew, it was for that mid-day dinner or that evening's meal; if a cook procured beef or mutton for his cookshop or street vending business, his product wouldn't be expected to keep for more than a day. Butchers were wise to offer the freshest meats possible for the simple reason that they'd go out of business if they didn't. Vendors of pre-cooked "fast food," which a large portion of city dwellers would frequent due to their lack of private kitchens, were also wise to use fresh meat because if any of their customers got sick it wouldn't take long for word to spread.
This is not to say there weren't cases of shady butchers attempting to pass off older meat as fresh or underhanded vendors selling reheated pasties with older meat. Both occupations developed a reputation for dishonesty that has characterized modern views of medieval life for centuries. However, the worst problems were in crowded cities such as London and Paris, where crooks could more easily avoid detection or apprehension, and where corruption among city officials (not inherent, but more common than in smaller towns) made their escapes easier.
In most medieval towns and cities, the selling of bad food was neither common nor acceptable. Butchers who sold (or tried to sell) old meat would face severe penalties, including fines and time in the pillory if their deception was discovered. A fairly substantial number of laws were enacted concerning guidelines for proper management of meat, and in at least one case the butchers themselves drew up regulations of their own.
Amazon free books are excellent on how to test meat.
I imagine it’s not fresh any more.
FTA: 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. However, this was an uncommon practice perpetrated by underhanded butchers and vendors
I have bought at supermarkets some bad meat, almost always hamburger. They use smell proof plastic so I buy from the meat counter any hamburger if I can. I order groceries from home now and always put in the notes FRESH MEAT
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)
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.
I get mine from a local meat market. It’s a little spendy but you know where it came from and shortages don’t effect them. Plus,they’re good people and I don’t mind an extra dollar or two if it’ll keep the doors open.
Some time in the pillory would seem to be a good cure for many urban diseases
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Went there last year before the 'Rona Shutdown.
On Saint Martin day, there was obligatory fattened goose.
The goose was force fed months before, until it was so obese that it could barely move. I heard from grandpa that it was a great feast! Too bad, nobody has the time now to force feed a goose! Or it may be an animal abuse?
Yeah - I took my kids to Medieval Times once, found out my son had horse allergies - had to leave and get him Benadryl
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.
Shows that a simple search can lead to the discovery of a pile of missed topics, and turns the current seven days into Medieval Week here at GGG. Pass the mead.
This topic was posted , thanks SamAdams76.
Hi.
Pass the mead to me...
My mace and broad sword need cleaning.
5.56mm
THis is Anglocentric.
Different countries in Europe had different customs.
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AZ, you might be correct to a degree. However, much in this piece would definitely comport with readings from medieval France and Central Europe. There are some good contemporaneous accounts from Troyes, France, as well as from Poland. Meat was difficult to come by for the average man.
“Fat Tuesday” was a BIG deal for many families, not because the fast of Lent is coming, but because they got to eat all the meat and rich foods they had been able to scavenge the previous months of winter.
Thanks for your post.
People in Medieval Times were always on the verge of starvation and so they ate whatever was available. Not too much choice, eat this or stave!
During the wars and bad harvest, people used to die from starvation!
Meat was expensive so you would eat it according to your pocketbook. Rich got a lot more of it than the poor.
However, for the same reasons, there were no vegetarians around either!
If you got hold of some meat, you would eat it!
And, there were customs of sharing. If somebody slaughter a pig or cow, all the village got a piece of it!
All you have to do was to be a friendly person, not to spoil the feast! If you could, you would repay the same way, if you could not, you just had to thank the host nicely! Unlike present day welfare system, they knew who was poor and deserved help and who was just a lazy asocial!
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