This is the time of year our minds turn to family and friends, and celebrating the holidays with feasting and merriment. And so it was in the Middle Ages. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer speaks of Yuletide feasts fit for a king and his entire court.
What did they eat to celebrate the Yule season in Chaucer's Medieval England? The traditional dinner that comes to mind today was unknown. And there wasn't one particular "traditional" menu to celebrate the season—there was just more of everything.
According to Chaucer, a feast would be served in courses, beginning with bread and cheese, along with a soup or broth. The next course would likely be vegetables and a lean meat dish with sauces. The feast would progress from there to heavier and more savory dishes, in decreasing portions, ending with dainties and desserts like plum pudding and mincemeat pie.
Whatever was served at Yuletide feasts, a nice, warm drink was definitely a necessary part of the festivities. In winter there was nothing as warming as a mulled, spiced wine.
Originally, mulling was a term for warming the spiced wine heated in the fire. The spices were cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, white pepper, cloves, nutmeg, caraway, spikenard, which has sedative effect. After boiling the wine and spices, the mixture was left to sit overnight to settle and steep. Then it was strained through cheesecloth. Once it had aged properly, it could be served as a sop for bread, or it could be mulled for a hot treat.
In A Medieval Yule, heroine Lady Liana naturally notices the mulled wine near the hearth as she traverses about the chamber, “…And a bracing nip of warm mulled wine before sleep still, I see?” Her smile grew as she gave the contents of the pitcher a light flick with her small finger, and then brought it to her mouth to taste the dark liquid.
However you celebrate the Yule season, keep in mind that many of our traditions originated in our medieval past.
Have you ever had mulled spiced wine or ale? Would you like to try it? In the next Medieval themed post I will feature a traditional recipe for mulled wine.
Leave a comment on any of the Medieval themed posts to be in the running to win a PDF download of A Medieval Yule.
The Red Rose Publishing page link is Here
Have a wonderful Yuletide Season!
Kaye
Related Post: Foods Ye Olde Medieval Way
Leave a comment on any of the Medieval themed posts to be in the running to win a PDF download of A Medieval Yule.
The Red Rose Publishing page link is Here
Have a wonderful Yuletide Season!
Kaye
Related Post: Foods Ye Olde Medieval Way
9 comments:
Mmm, mulled wine. I have most of those ingredients and might do some experimenting! Am now mostly off the heavy hitting pain meds so could enjoy a mug!
Sounds like a great feast! I look forward to the recipe. :)
I loved mulled wine. Also, my all time favorite beer is Wassail Ale from Full Sail Brewing. Lovely yummy stuff.
No, only mulled apple cider... but, with those ingredients I'd love to try the mulled wine or ale. And I love honey mead.
As I recall from my medieval research back in college swan and peacock were often on the feasting list.
Melisse -- I'd like a mug too! So glad you are on your way to recovery.
Jessica -- It does to me too! I'll share some medieval wassailing recipes I found in another post.
Diane -- You are a medieval lady at heart for sure!
Savanna -- Thank you for stopping by and adding you expertise! And your are so right about swan and peacock, according to my research as well!
I love posts like this!
Ref: feasting
I can't imagine eating so many courses. I wonder if they spaced them out.
Maria -- Thanks for stopping by! I like posts like this too.
From my research, they would feast for very long periods of time.
During Twelfth Night, they would actually feast (and party!) for the 12 days of Christmas.
I've never had mulled wine but i've always wanted to. Even though i don't like wine. But, i'm a pretty adventurous eater and drinker. I'm always willing to try something new
I made a couple of batches of mulled wine this year. It's delicious. I used Jamie Oliver's recipe.
They seemed to eat huge meals!
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