Article by Lisa Schachinger

Middle Ages - the food

Grains, such as wheat, oats, millet and rye were the main food source of in the Middle-Ages. Rye was especially important because it could grow even in hard soil. Crops were used to make bread which has played a major role in nutrition since the 11th century. Bread was the major source of food and nutrition for all classes. The poor also ate vegetables, but the rich didn’t because doctors believed vegetables were bad for their health. Especially lentils were very common because they were dried and so could also be eaten in winter. Because the meat from cows was sold to the rich and the poor weren’t allowed to hunt, they didn’t eat any meat. The rich ate fish, deer and could even afford to buy cheese and eggs. They could also buy fruits, but only fruits that grew on trees because fruits high up in the trees represented their wealth, fruits from the ground were for the poor. The rich could afford to buy expensive French wine and even cacao and coffee. Because wine was so expensive, poor people had to drink water or beer.