The way the people in Elizabethan Era ate in the years of 1550-1600. The kinds of food eaten depended very much on wealth and status. Poor people, in general, had humble and unvaried diets, whereas the rich of Elizabethan England ate well. The upper class people of the Elizabethan Era ate many spicy and sweet foods consisting of expensive spices and ingredients. Poor people could not afford much red meat, like beef or pork, so tended to eat white meat, like chicken, rabbit or hare, and birds they could catch like blackbirds or pigeons. As Queen Elizabeth made a law in 1563 that compelled everyone to eat fish on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the poor also regularly ate fish. This law was made to support the fishing industry. Disobeying
You ate apples in the fall and leafy greens in the spring. In most places people ate small portions of meat, though not at every meal” (Pollan 86). Back then, people had a concrete idea of what it was that they were eating. They knew what was good to eat and what to avoid. And they knew where the food was actually coming from, so that wasn’t ever a mystery, as they were the ones to get the food for themselves.
This source explains what life was like for families during the Elizabethan period. It says that the woman of the household were submissive to their husbands, marry to make the family wealthier, and produce children. The man of the household was in charge. The men made the decisions and made sure that their family socialized with families that had more money than they did. The children were cherished because many infants died.
Both France and the Netherlands were key to the colonization and development of the Americas. However, each nation had different ways of colonizing these pieces of land. These differences, including how they interacted with the natives who were already residing in the area, affected the way they perceived their world. This can be viewed through the evolution of foodways in colonized areas. By examining the ways that these originally European foodways changed, a person can determine how they interacted with the people and places surrounding them.
In fact, children during this era also drank beer and other alcoholic drinks due to the water condition. Interesting parts of food in the Elizabethan Era include meals of the wealthy, meals of the commoners, and beverages during this time. The first interesting part of food in the Elizabethan Era is food of the wealthy. Mealtime for the
Cloth of gold or gold tissue could be worn, only by Queen Elizabeth, her mom, her sisters, her aunts, also with duchesses, marquises, and countesses. The upper class Elizabethans got to wear a lot of velvets, satins, furs, silks, lace, cotton, and taffeta. By wearing these types of clothing, it was known that they were upper class. Upper class women wore: gowns, hats, corsets, underwear, collars, ruffs, and shoes. The upper class men wore: doublets, breeches, underwear, collars, ruffs, hats, and shoes.
Rich vs. Wealthy Foods in the Elizabethan Era In the Elizabethan Era, there was a big gap between the wealthy and the poor, even in the food they ate. There were differences in their beverages, the quality of their food and what their daily meals and diets were. Upper and lower classes during this time ate very different foods. The website Elizabethan Food and Drink says, “Vegetables and fresh fruit were eaten by the poor - vegetables would have been included in some form of stew, soup or pottage.
Physicians, and Medicine During the Elizabethan Time The Elizabethan time period was from 1558 through 1603 known as the Renaissance. During the Renaissance there was not any running water, so people would have to throw their waste in the streets. With people’s waste in the street came many illnesses including The Plague. Even a minor scrap could kill you in the next minute.
During the Elizabethan Era food varied according to how wealthy or poor you were. The poor had access to foods like expensive meats, but they usually couldn’t afford them. If the poor did get high class foods, they would usually sell it to the wealthy so they could make money. They would use this money to pay for things like rent and taxes. Although the lower class didn’t get to eat pleasantries very often, they were satisfied with the foods they had.
What if in today's era, wearing the wrong thing could earn someone a death sentence? Imagine what it would feel like, being told what to wear and what not to wear. In the Elizabethan Era a set of laws called the Sumptuary Laws were placed for that specific issue. By not following this law, the punishments could result in fines, loss of property, and even death. Women's fashion in the Elizabethan Era consisted of a stomacher, corset, petticoat, kirdle, gown, and coat.
The peasants often gave chicken, eggs, etc. in payment to their lords. In addition to the serfs, there were also artisans and people who worked in the chapel (Document 2). All of the people within the manor were extremely important for the survival of all the social classes, and everyone depended on the hard work produced by the people who worked the land. Also, as trade and commerce began to grow, the lives of the people in the Middle Ages also changed.
According to Heather Sharnette, an excellent Elizabethan expert, “food in the Elizabethan era included different meals of the lower class and the upper class. Depending on an individual’s wealth, what they consumed, their choices of drinks, and the spices to enhance the flavor of the overall meal differed” (Elizabeth R). The wealthier the individuals, the better they ate. Most of the
This was the base of almost all meals for the lower class and the meals were very bland and tasteless. For the upper class presentation was what was most important, the more food and choices that was laid out on the table the more impressive that person or family looked(“Elizabethan Daily Meals.”). The upper classes were allowed to eat white bread and specially prepared meals made by that individual's servant. The upper classes drank a lot of ale and wine and those privileged in the upper structures almost all had their own
Richard Ramirez once stated, “Violent delights tend to have violent endings.” Sports were very different at this time, a lot of violence was shown between different games, such as animal blood sports which were very serious. Athletic competitions have been around since the beginning of time. Popular sports in the Elizabethan Era were the animal blood sports which involved bears, bulls, cocks and dogs. People during the Elizabethan era may have liked the blood sports, but they always had violent endings.
By discussing the vast and most interesting ways food was prepared, what people ate depending on their class, and how certain meats were preserved. we will be able to see just how different the world of food is today compared to the Renaissance. Renaissance food, like the era, was elegant and cultured. Meals were prepared carefully to be aesthetically pleasing and tasty. Soups were a luxury as they were very expensive due to the many spices used to add color and flavor.
The rich ate what tasted good and the poor ate what they could afford. Often times the poor had a healthier diet than the rich. The rich ate a variety of things, and mostly everything was thoroughly cooked. They ate many types of meats, poultry, and fish. They even ate peacocks if they could afford them.