The Medieval Kitchen
Medieval cooking was bolder, sweeter and more colourful than its grey reputation suggests. From the spectacle of the feast to the pottage of the poor, from spiced wine to sugar sculpture, these articles reveal how the Middle Ages really ate — and how to taste it again.
Frequently asked questions
- What did medieval peasants actually eat?
- Mostly pottage — a thick, endlessly varied stew of grains, pulses and greens — with coarse bread and ale. Meat was occasional; dairy, eggs and garden vegetables filled out the rest.
- Were medieval dishes really drowned in spices?
- Wealthy tables used spices generously, but not to hide spoilage (that's a myth — spices cost far more than fresh meat). They were a display of status and a taste people genuinely loved, balanced with sour notes like verjuice.
- What did people drink in the Middle Ages?
- Ale and, in wine regions, wine were the everyday drinks for all ages — not because water was unsafe everywhere, but because they were nourishing, kept better and were part of the culture. Spiced wines like hippocras were feast-day luxuries.