Medieval Food
Medieval wedding feasts celebrated the day no matter what social class the bride and groom came from. Some of the Middle Age food that could have been served at a feast include: Roast quail, turtledoves and partridge, goose, venison, roasted boar (sanglier), gilded and slivered calves' heads, fish, roasted peacock, mutton, cheeses, walnuts, fresh fruits, oysters steamed in almond milk, ale-flavored bread, stewed cabbage, tarts and custards, fresh fruit preserves and spicy mulled wine.
Apples were the only cultivated fruit, but others grew wild. Wild fruits like pears, quinces, and even peaches were served on some medieval tables. Strawberries raspberries, red currants could be found in the woods. Nobility could afford exotic foods like dates and pistachio nuts.
Many kinds of vegetables were known during the Middle Ages, but few were eaten. Vegetables of this period include: carrots, cabbage, lettuce, leeks, cardoons, onions, shallots, parsley and asparagus.
Feasts were elaborate, and it was not uncommon for banquets to serve up to six courses.
Spices and Flavorings
Middle Age spices used in cooking included: Cloves, cinnamon, saffron, mace, pepper, ginger, anise, and nutmeg. Food was seasoned with herbs like basil, parsley, sage, tansy, savory, betony, and rosemary. Sugar was becoming increasing popular during the Middle Ages, but it was expensive and only the wealthy could afford it in great quantities. Honey was still the sweetener of choice, usually supplied by the local monastery.
Middle Age Salads
"Sallat," or salad, could have been made with chives, scallions, boiled carrots, radish roots, young lettuce, and turnips. Herbs, nuts, olives, vinegar and oil, even sugar could have been included in a medieval sallat.
Wine, Ale, and other Medieval Drinks
Drinks during this period included water, ale, beer, mead, milk, and wine. Cider became increasingly popular, starting in the Basque country and moving northward. Fruit juices made from cherries, sloes, and mulberries may have been available, but most of them would have been fermented. Wine was believed to nourish the body, restore health, aid digestion, clarify ideas, open the arteries, cure melancholy and help in procreation.
Eating Etiquette
Guests at a medieval feast would eat with their fingers, though forks and sometimes a knife were used by some. Since little food could be preserved, the guests would eat until the food was gone. Napkins were becoming more popular. Glassware was becoming more widespread, and traditional bread trenchers were being replaced with wooden boards that had sections hollowed out to hold certain courses.
Medieval Dancing
Medieval feasts would usually be followed by hours of dancing to the accompaniment of vocal or instrumental music. Lords and ladies would "round dance" and "carol," and this was one of the chances young men had to meet damsels.
