Food In The Elizabethan Era
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.
The Elizabethan Era had many rules and laws, so many that sometimes they were hard to keep track of. The capital offenses included robbery, larceny/theft, rape, and arson (Harrison). The more frequently committed crimes included theft, begging, cutpurses, adultery, debtors, poaching, forgery, fraud, and dice-cogging (Elizabethan Crime). In a desperate effort to control how the less fortunate and homeless behaved, Parliament passed the Poor Laws, which made it illegal to beg for food and money (Harrison). These laws went so far as to make it illegal to live on the streets (Crime and Punishment).
Shakespearean clothing fits in the Elizabethan category. The Elizabethan Era is also known as the Golden Age due to the European’s growth in power. Elizabethan Era clothing was very fancy, complex, and colorful. Huge, puffy dresses and frilly collars come to mind when thinking about this era’s style. The people considered fashion very important.
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.
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
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.
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.
However, the Elizabethans did not know quite how to use or cook these foods to their optimum, so they were not as tasty as they could have been and tended to be kept as special delicacies. But also the poor people had to eat to! consisting largely of bread, fish, cheese and ale, but the rich of Elizabethan England ate well. All kind of meats were served such as lamb, beef, mutton, pork, bacon, veal, rabbit, hare, and fowl such as peacock, swan, goose, blackbirds and pigeon.
The progressive era was a time in the United States in which the objective was to make the country a better place to live in, the intentions of this period were to eliminate problems caused by immigration, industrialization and corruption in the government. Although the intentions were good many citizens were unhappy about the situations they were living in. During the Progressive era something that stuck out from the many problems the United States was dealing with was the food industry. The food industry before laws were passed was a complete disaster, the way food has been manufactured was so unsanitary it blew everyone's mind especially today when we have so many regulations.
A lot of meat was eaten during this time period, but they would only eat what was affordable. Also, many different nuts and vegetables were also eaten. According to Elizabethan Food, people during these times really liked vegetables. They would eat vegetables like turnips, parsnips, carrots, corn, and a lot of others. Also according to Elizabethan Food, people loved to eat varieties of nuts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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