Étkezési szokások a középkorban

Abstract

There are relatively few written records of medieval eating habits available today. However, archaeological evidence, the examination of plant remains, and of the people’s teeth who lived that time, further stable isotope analysis can help to reconstruct the diet of that era. Most of the ingredients used in the Middle Ages are also available today, but cooking methods were less sophisticated. Back then, only a few methods were known for storing or long-time preserving of food, thus hygienic problems were often emerging. Strict religious rules affected all areas of life, thus eating habits too. Fasting days were commanded week by weeks as red meat was banned to consume or any food of animal origin. There was a big difference in the diets of poorer and richer people. For the poor, even essential food was often not available, or only in very poor quality, and people were often plagued by famine in this era. In contrast, the rich had an ample supply of food and acquired special ingredients imported from other countries. The nobility often arranged lavish feasts while serving strange foods from our contemporary point of view only to dazzle the guests. They also consumed a significant amount of wine, while poorer peasants preferred rather a drinking beer. This may be traced back to the poor quality of drinking water thus alcoholic beverages were considered safer from a hygienic point of view. Adequate nutrient supply depended also significantly on social status but in an overall frame, it can be said that the majority of inhabitants suffered from some form of nutrient deficiency, including the rich too due to unilateral unbalanced diets.