Turnips were a staple food item in Europe for centuries. In ancient Rome, Pliny the Elder wrote that next to corn and beans, there was “no plant that is of more extensive use” than the turnip. During the medieval and renaissance eras they were inexpensive, easy to grow and survived the cold of winter. Root…
Author: Sarah B
I am a digital archivist, freelance writer/historian, mom, teacher and musician. I am passionate about food history and making tough academic subjects easier to understand and digest. I also love the outdoors, traveling and learning new languages.
New York Gingerbread, 1899
Today’s recipe is an interesting 19th century take on a classic: Gingerbread. Unlike most traditional gingerbread that is dense, dark, and heavy on ginger, this “New York” Gingerbread is soft and fluffy and has subtler flavors. When we think of gingerbread we tend to imagine little crunchy cookies shaped into little men for the Christmas…
Daryols and Diriola: Two Medieval Custard Pies
One type of medieval custard tart was the Dariole, also known as Daryoles, Dariolles, Daryalys, and Diriola.
Ris Engoule – Rice in Beef Stock
Today’s medieval recipe is from the 14th century French recipe collection known as Le Viandier de Taillevent. Ris Engoule is a simple rice dish not intended to be eaten during Lent or on a Fast day. The source manuscript was possibly written as early as 1300 but the collection is generally attributed to Guillaume Tirel…
Bruet of Almaynne in Lente
Medieval rice porridge with dates, c. 1420.
Lombard Chicken Pasties
Few foods are as stereotypically “medieval” as the pasty (PASS-tee), a small meat pie in the shape of a semi-circle. Because of their compact size, pasties were perfect meals for busy medieval urbanites and were an ideal street food for travelers. They could be eaten hot or cold and could be wrapped to-go and eaten…
A Civil War Era Pineappleade
I decided to take a break from the medieval cookery manuscripts and try something a little closer to home. Today’s recipe is a very simple infused pineapple drink that is perfect for the summer! This one comes from a book called Six Hundred Receipts Worth their Weight in Gold by John Marquart, published in Philadelphia in…
Cryppys, Crisps: 14th-century Fritters?
Cryppys, often called crisps, are another type of fried honey-flavored treat from 14th-century England.
Honey Crispels
If you thought deep-fried sweets like funnel cakes, elephant ears/beaver tails and doughnuts were modern inventions for the county fair, think again. Fried pastries have been around since ancient Egypt and China. The Romans ate something called scriblita, a fried pastry dough. Fried doughs were common throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe in various…
Italian Blackberry Sauce, c. 1464
There is no shortage of 15th century Italian recipes thanks to Maestro Martino de Rossi, a well known and influential “celebrity” chef who worked in some of the greatest kitchens of late Medieval/Renaissance Italy. In 1464/65 he wrote Libro de Arte Coquinaria (The Art of Cooking), which is widely considered to be the first modern…
A Dollop of History 