The Role Of Food In The Elizabethan Era

Can you imagine living in a world with no drive through and microwaved Ramen noodles? Well that is the kind of world that William Shakespeare lived in. During the Elizabethan Era new foods from the New World were being discovered, like tomatoes and potatoes. Food in the Renaissance Period was much different than it is today. 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. When the poor did get animals to eat they would have also saved them for special occasions, like Christmas. The lower class ate much more greens than the wealthy did. The poor had a diet that mainly consisted of milk, eggs, bread, fish, cheese, and ale. They also ate a lot of potage and different types

Since eating utensils weren’t invented yet, people used to eat with their hands. Having clean hands was very important. People were advised to wash their hands in public to show to others that their hands were clean. People would also have to keep their hands clean during the meals. They would have to refrain from putting their fingers in their ears, putting their hands on their heads, blowing their noses with their hands, and scratching. Bad manners included poking or playing with the food on your plate and putting the bone back on your plate after you have eaten the meat. Talking wasn’t very common in the upper class dining table. They despised talking too much and telling doubtful stories. Many may have found upper class meals boring. Table manners and etiquette were much different than they are