What People Ate in the Middle Ages

What the Rich People Ate The rich people in the middle ages would have eaten meat such as fish, shellfish, rabbits, pigeons, peacock, sheep and cows. They also would have eaten fruit, dried and fresh. Normally they imported the fruit in from other countries. In Brittan the rich people ate apples and wild fruit like berries (but no strawberries). In the warmer areas like Europe the rich people would have more variety and could eat plums and quinces and different types of berries.

Their main drink was wine. Wheat was common all over Europe and was considered to be the most nutritious of all grains, but was more expensive. Their main drink was wine. For treats, the rich people would eat sweets! Picking vegetables like lettuces and carrots. At a feast

What the Common People Ate The common people (peasants) ate oatmeal, bread, meat (very rarely) and vegetables that they grew. There main drink was ‘Ale’. Sometimes they ate ‘Pottidge’ which is a vegetable soup. The most common grains were rye, barley, buckwheat, millet and oats.

All cooking was done over a fire All cooking was done over a fire. Stoves did not appear until the 18th century. Common herbs such as sage, mustard and parsley were grown and used in cooking in Europe. These plants were a cheaper than exotic spices. Harvesting pepper Picking Green Grapes

The middle ages lasted from the 5th to the 16th century. During this period, diets and cooking changed across Europe, and these changes helped form modern European cuisine. By Olivia Mills