Elizabethan Era Food Essay

During the Elizabethan period, many customs that are seen in everyday modern life were different in that era. One such custom that was drastically different, was the process of eating food. Three meals were consumed daily: breakfast, dinner, and a midday meal. Breakfast was the first meal to be eaten, and usually consisted of bread, eggs, jam, fish, and sausages. This meal was typically for giving people a fresh start to their day. Dinner was the second meal of the day, usually eaten between 10:00 a.m. and noon. A variety of foods such as venison, fish, salads, cheese, and nuts were available. The final meal of the day was supper. This was eaten between 5:00 or 8:00 after a day’s work was finished, and lasted for two or three hours. This meal included sausage, wine, porridge, and cabbage. While there was a huge assortment of different foods, bread and meat were seen as staple foods, and ale and milk were used as drinks. There was also a considerable difference between the food of a commoner, and the food of an aristocrat. The wealthiest people in the

Food would first have to be bought from the market. Unlike modern supermarkets, however, each market sold a specific type of food. Prasad Mahabal says “Some would offer dairy, others would offer fish, and then you might find vegetable markets and fruit markets elsewhere.” (Mahabal, Elizabethan Era Foods and Recipes) This was done above an open flame. Tools such as pots, pans, knives and gridirons assisted chefs as they cooked. Boiling was a common ways to prepare meat. To preserve meat, salting or pickling was used. When the rich would eat, it was common for them to have their food decorated, because they wanted food to look as good as it tasted. One example of this is the use of props. Peacock feathers could be used to make a dish look more appealing. Another example is baking pie crust over live birds to surprise the diner when they