Food and drink

See also: Crab fishing • Food at Elisal

Foods by season

In medieval Europe, a person’s diet was closely tied to the seasons and what could be grown or gathered locally. Without modern refrigeration or global transport, people relied on fresh food in season and preserved food during leaner months. The specific foods available would vary by region, but here is a general overview of what would have been available throughout the year:

Spring

Spring was a time of new growth and a welcome relief after a long winter. However, it was also known as the “hunger gap” because stored food from the previous year was running low, and new crops were not yet ready to harvest.

Vegetables: Leafy greens like lettuce, chard, and spinach would be among the first to appear. People would also begin to harvest spring cabbage, leeks, and onions. Herbs such as parsley, sage, and thyme, which could be dried and stored from the previous year, would now be available fresh.

Fruits: Wild berries and small fruits would be foraged as they ripened. This might include early strawberries, gooseberries, and currants.

Nuts: Stored nuts from the previous autumn, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds, would be a staple during this time, providing important calories and fats.

Summer

Summer was the most abundant time of year, with a wide variety of fresh food.

Vegetables: This was the peak season for fresh vegetables. Peas, broad beans, carrots, radishes, and cucumbers were all popular. Cabbages, which were a staple, would be plentiful. Early carrots were often yellow or purple, as the orange variety we know today was developed later.

Fruits: A huge variety of fresh fruit was available. This included apples, pears, cherries, plums, and damsons. Wild berries like blackberries and raspberries were also foraged.

Nuts: This was not the peak season for nuts, as they are harvested in the autumn. However, immature “green” almonds were considered a delicacy in places where they grew.

Autumn

Autumn was the harvest season and a time for gathering and preserving food for the winter.

Vegetables: Root vegetables like turnips, beets, and parsnips would be harvested and stored in cool, dry places to last through the winter. Cabbages were also harvested and could be made into sauerkraut for preservation.

Fruits: The main harvest for apples, pears, quinces, and plums took place in the autumn. Many of these would be stored, dried, or made into cider and perry.

Nuts: This was the primary season for nuts. Walnuts, hazelnuts (filberts), chestnuts, and acorns were gathered from trees. Acorns were primarily used for feeding pigs, but chestnuts were a significant food source, especially in mountainous regions.

Winter

Winter was the most challenging time for food availability. People relied on what they had preserved or stored during the autumn.

Vegetables: The main vegetables would be root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, and beets, which could be stored for months. Onions, leeks, and garlic were also staples. Dried peas, lentils, and beans were a critical source of protein and could be made into hearty stews and pottages.

Fruits: Fresh fruit was largely unavailable. People would eat dried fruits like apples, pears, and plums. Quinces were preserved in honey or made into a paste (similar to marmalade).

Nuts: Stored nuts were a vital food source. Almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts were a common part of the winter diet, used in everything from sauces to desserts. Almond milk, in particular, was a common substitute for dairy milk, especially during Lent.

Foods on Isla Arbojan

An island located between 33°N and 38°N latitude would fall within the Mediterranean climate zone. This is the same latitude range as islands like Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus. As such, the food would be heavily influenced by the classic Mediterranean diet, with a strong emphasis on what can be grown in a hot, dry climate and what can be caught from the sea.

Here is a breakdown of the foods an island in this region would have, categorised by food type:

Fruits

Olives and Grapes: These would be the most important crops. Olives would be a key source of fat, providing both the fruit for eating and the oil for cooking. Grapes would be used for fresh eating, drying into raisins, and making wine and vinegar.

Citrus Fruits: Oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits would thrive in this climate. They would be a source of sweetness and acidity, used in cooking, drinks, and for preservation.

Stone Fruits: Peaches, apricots, cherries, and plums would be available in the summer months. Figs and pomegranates would also be common and valued for their sweetness.

Melons: Watermelons and various types of sweet melons would be a staple during the hot summer to provide hydration.

Vegetables

Root Vegetables: Carrots, turnips, and onions would be grown and stored for use throughout the year. Garlic would be a fundamental flavouring in nearly every dish.

Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, and broad beans would be essential protein sources, particularly during winter. They can be dried and stored for long periods.

Greens: Wild greens would be foraged in the spring and used in salads, stews, and savoury pies. Cultivated vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, and chard would also be available.

Nightshades: Avocados, tomatoes, and peppers, while often associated with Mediterranean food, were introduced from the Americas after the 15th century. So for an earlier medieval setting, these would not be present. The most common vegetables would be those with older histories in the region.

Cucurbits: Cucumbers and various types of squash would be a summer staple.

Grains

Wheat: The primary grain would be wheat, especially durum wheat, which is well-suited to the climate. It would be used to make a variety of breads, pasta, and other staple foods like couscous or bulgur.

Barley: This would be another important grain, used for bread and stews.

Nuts

Almonds and Walnuts: These would be a significant source of protein and fat, used in cooking and as a snack.

Pistachios: In certain regions with the right soil, pistachios would be available.

Chestnuts: Chestnuts could be a staple in mountainous areas.

Animal Products

Fish and Seafood: Given the island location, fish would be a crucial source of protein. This would include fresh fish caught daily as well as preserved fish (salted or dried).

Meat: Lamb, goat, and pork would be the most common meats. Sheep and goats would be raised for milk (to make cheese), meat, and wool. Pigs would be a source of pork and cured meats.

Dairy: Cheese and yogurt made from goat’s or sheep’s milk would be very important. Butter and cow’s milk would be less common due to the challenges of raising cattle in a hot, dry environment.

Herbs and Spices

Herbs: A wide variety of herbs would grow wild or be cultivated, including oregano, thyme, rosemary, mint, and sage.

Spices: While many spices would have to be imported, some, like cumin, fennel, and anise, would be cultivated locally.

The seasonal availability of these foods would follow the pattern of the medieval calendar, with fresh produce abundant in the summer and autumn, and the winter diet relying heavily on stored and preserved foods like dried beans, salted fish, cured meats, and cheese.

Foods by social standing

In a medieval fantasy world, food and drink would reflect social status, availability of resources, and the power dynamics of your society. Here’s a breakdown for each group:

Priestesses (Highest Status)

As the rulers, Priestesses would have access to the finest and most diverse foods, often prepared with imported spices and in complex ways. Their diet would be rich in protein, variety, and exotic elements.

Food

Meats: Roasted game (venison, boar, pheasant, swan), richly spiced beef, lamb, and pork. Delicate poultry like capons and chickens. Fresh fish, especially prized varieties.

Fine Breads: White, finely milled wheat bread, often enriched with butter, eggs, or honey. Delicate pastries and cakes.

Fruits and Vegetables: Fresh, ripe seasonal fruits (apples, pears, berries, plums), often served with honey or spices. Exotic dried fruits (dates, figs). A wide variety of vegetables, perhaps prepared in rich sauces.

Dairy: Fine cheeses, fresh milk (though less common for adults), cream, and butter.

Spices: Lavish use of expensive imported spices like saffron, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and black pepper.

Sweeteners: Honey, and perhaps imported sugar if it’s available in your world (it was extremely rare and expensive in real medieval Europe).

Elaborate Dishes: Pâtés, jellies, elaborate stews, roasted meats with fruit sauces, and complex pies.

Drinks

Fine Wines: High-quality, aged wines, often spiced or mulled (warmed with spices and honey).

Mead: Rich, strong mead (fermented honey wine).

Hypocras/Claret: Wine infused with spices and sugar, considered a medicinal tonic and a luxury.

Imported Spirits: If distillation exists, perhaps rare and potent spirits.

Herbal Infusions: Delicate herbal teas, possibly for medicinal or ritualistic purposes.

Handmaidens (Privileged Servants)

Handmaidens would eat well, enjoying a diet similar to that of wealthy household staff or lesser nobility. Their food would be good quality and plentiful, but perhaps less extravagant or varied than the Priestesses’ own meals.

Food

Meats: Good cuts of common meats (pork, chicken, beef, mutton). Less emphasis on rare game, but still consistent access to meat.

Breads: Good quality wheat or rye bread, not as fine as the Priestesses’ white bread, but still substantial.

Vegetables and Legumes: Hearty stews and pottages made with root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, turnips), cabbage, onions, peas, and beans.

Dairy: Cheeses, butter, and perhaps some milk.

Fruits: Seasonal fruits, likely simpler preparations than the Priestesses.

Seasonings: Local herbs, salt, and some more common spices.

Drinks

Ale/Beer: Good quality, often brewed within the household. It would be a primary source of hydration and calories.

Lesser Quality Wines: If wine is consumed, it would likely be from second or third pressings, or more common local varieties.

Cider: If apples are common in your region.

Water: Boiled water or water from a known clean source.

Guardia (Officers)

Food

Similar to the Handmaidens, with good access to meat, bread, and some fresh produce. They might have personal cooks or access to better provisions.

Drinks

Ale/beer, possibly some wine, especially when off duty or at formal gatherings.

Guardia (Troopers)

Food

Food (Garrisoned): Hearty, practical fare. Coarse grain bread (rye, barley), stews with common meats (pork, mutton, sometimes beef), root vegetables, peas, beans. Salted or dried fish. Cheese.

Food (On Campaign): Dried and preserved foods would be essential. Hard-tack (a hard, dry biscuit), salted or smoked meats, dried fish, dried peas/beans, onions, and garlic (for flavour and health). They would supplement their diet by foraging or requisitioning food from local populations.

Drinks

Ale/Beer: Their primary drink, safer than water and calorie-rich.

Water: When clean sources are available.

"Small Beer": Very low-alcohol beer, almost like flavoured water, brewed frequently for hydration.

Slaves (Lowest Status)

The diet of slaves would be minimal, monotonous, and designed primarily for sustenance to enable labour. It would consist of the cheapest, most readily available, and often less desirable food.

Food

Grains: Primarily coarse grains like barley, oats, or rye, often in the form of rough bread, gruel, or porridge.

Legumes: Peas and beans, often in a simple pottage or stew, providing essential protein and calories.

Root Vegetables: Turnips, carrots, and onions, often grown by the slaves themselves or considered “waste” from other harvests.

Scraps: Whatever scraps or less desirable parts of animals (offal, fat, bone marrow) might be given to them. Very little, if any, prime cuts of meat.

Foraged Foods: If allowed, they might supplement their diet with wild greens, berries (in season), or small game if they can catch it.

Perpetual Stew/Pottage: A common, simple stew that would be continuously added to and reheated, using whatever ingredients were available.

Drinks

Water: Often unboiled or from less clean sources.

Weak Ale/Beer: If available, it would be the absolute cheapest and weakest brew, primarily for calories and some hydration.

Whey/Buttermilk: By-products of cheese and butter making, offering some nutritional value.

General Medieval Considerations

Seasonal Availability: Fresh fruits and vegetables would be highly seasonal. Preservation methods like salting, drying, smoking, and pickling were crucial for year-round food.

Lack of Sugar: Honey was the primary sweetener. Sugar was a rare and expensive import.

Fasting Days: Religious observance would dictate numerous fast days throughout the year, during which meat, eggs, and dairy might be forbidden. Fish would be eaten on these days.

Food Preparation: Most cooking would involve open fires, spits, and large cauldrons for stews and pottages.

Waste Not, Want Not: Every part of an animal would be used, from blood (for puddings) to bones (for broths).