Ginny Gilbert

Food and Drink in the Middle Ages

Back in the fourteenth and fifteenth century, there were no McDonalds. So what did Robin Hood and his Merrymen feast upon? Well, like many other aspects of life, diet was dictated by social and economic status.

One staple of the diet back then was bread. The upper classes preferred the whitest bread possible, and lower classes usually ate whole wheat bread. Meat was the main component of the upper class diet. Aristocrats ate mostly beef, followed by pork and mutton, with a small amount of game and poultry in their diet. Dairy products and eggs were not a large part of the aristocratic diet, and vegetables were mostly used for seasoning. In the average day, a member of the upper echelon of society would consume 2-3 lbs. of meat, 2-3 lbs. of bread, and a gallon of ale. The lower class peasant, on the other hand, was lucky to have 2 lbs. of beef or mutton, 4 pints of ale, and 2 lbs. of whole wheat bread.

Although some people believe there was not a great variety of foods at this time, this is not true. Meats consumed included: cows, sheep, pigs, chicken, geese, duck, deer, boars, rabbits, wildfowl, and a variety of seafood. People also ate butter, cheese, fruits, and nuts. There were many spices also used in cooking, such as cinnamon, salt, saffron, pepper, cloves, mustard, vinegar, parsley, mace, and ginger. Because there were no refrigeration methods at this time, things such as fruits, beans, peas, and vegetables were dried. The peasants salted meats for the winter, but the upper classes had the luxury of enjoying fresh meat year round.

The most popular drink of the time was ale, an unhopped beer. Other beverage choices include: wine, apple cider, perry (made from pears), mead (made from honey), and water. Most adults did not consume milk.

Works Cited

Gies, Frances and Joseph. A Medieval Family. New York: Harper Collins, 1998.

Pyle, Howard. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. New York: Penguin Group, 1985.

Singman, Jeffrey L. and Will McLean. Daily Life in Chaucer’s England. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995.