8-3Food

=What Were Popular Types of Banquets, Feasts, & Food in Elizabethan England?=

//Prepared by Emily B.//

The Elizabethan culture has many unusual aspects to it and their food was one of the most extraordinary. Many different foods made up the Elizabethan diet and nothing was wasted, everything served was consumed. Food for the Elizabethans was a way of coming together and a way of showing status in society. There are many differences between the upper and lower class meals. Lower class meals were “considerably less splendid than the nobleman’s” (8), says the Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black. Dinner was the biggest meal of the day for commoners and served between six and nine o'clock pm. Some dinner dishes included roasted lamb, baked venison, tarts, and roasted rabbit. Some of the most commonly used ingredients in meals were beef, pork, rabbit, birds, cabbage, and scallions. Lower class meals typically did not have as many ingredients as the upper class and were prepared more simply. In the Medieval Cookbook, (80), a typical meal for the middle or lower class citizen would be mixed pickles or braised beef. Easy to make, and not fancy at all! Food in the upper class and nobility of Elizabeth England was entirely different than what the common man enjoyed. Feasts were held, which were very seasoned occasions in these times. These banquets were held and enjoyed by the Elizabethan royalty and upper class. Feasts were always very lavish. Up to 70 dishes would be prepared for one feast! The food would be made with only the finest ingredients imported fresh from exotic places. The Royal banquets of the Elizabethan era were of course the most magnificent. The highest-ranking chefs throughout the country provided food for these occasions, and they had to be aware of the high standards the royalty had toward fine dining. It was important that the food of these banquets were especially appealing to the eye. Elizabethans adorned their food with colors and various props. For instance, pastries at the feasts would be adorned with gold leaf. Sometimes, peacocks were cooked and eaten, while their feathers were used to decorate cooked foods! Some dishes that would be prepared at a banquet or feast included pork roast with spiced wine, decorated meatballs, and some cream custard tarts for a dessert. (Found in the Medieval Cookbook, pgs 96, 106, 116.) Sounds extremely appetizing, definitely higher quality than that of the commoners! Another interesting tidbit was that due to an increased longing for privacy; the upper class sometimes ate their meals in a "closet" (a small private room) while the servants and household staff members ate in the main hall. What pampered lives these Elizabethans had! As you can see, the feasts and banquets were defining features that made life in Elizabethan England so unique. They really gave meaning to the phrase “a meal fit for a king”!

// Above: A recipe book from the Elizabethan Era //

__Works Cited:__

Black, Maggie. The Medieval Cookbook. NYC: Thames & Hudson, 1992.

Lace, William W.. Elizabethan England. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 1995.

McMurty, Jo. Understanding Shakespeare's England. Hamden, Conneticut: Archon Books, 1989.

Shellard, Dominic. William Shakespeare. London: The British Library, 1998.

Tudor England, London: Mashall Cavendish Books, 1994 Woodward, G. W. O.. A Short History of 16th Century England. London: Plandford Press, 1963.