![]() Tirel rose through the ranks to become head chef and served no less than three Kings of France. He was a 14th century French cook at the Royal Court of France who started out as a kitchen boy. It is a written manuscript collection of dishes which has been accredited to Guillaume Tirel. A French Manuscript – This is known as Le Viandier. The result was that their staff canteen could conjur up some medieval food for visitors to try! Dishes included an early form of egg custard tart called “Tart In Ymber Day” and boiled fruit in pastry “ Payn Puff”. In more recent years the John Rylands Library made translations of a handful of the recipes. The document first came to public attention in the late 18th century when Samuel Pegge published his version of it. It was written by “the chief Master Cooks of King Richard II” and the recipes were for both the royal family and its servants. The title may sound a little strange at first glance but ‘Cury’ was the old English word for cookery. It is entitled “The Forme of Cury” and was written on a fine parchment scroll more than 600 years ago. Experts discovered it at Manchester University’s John Rylands Library. Many people regard it as the definitive guide to medieval cookery, particularly in England. The English manuscript dates from the late 14th century (believed to be 1390). ![]() One manuscript is in English and the other in French. So how do we know what medieval food was like? There are few definitive ‘recipe books’ from that time but there are two manuscripts which historians favour as being the most important. The expectations of the 21st century palate are therefore vastly different to those of the medieval Europe and historical figures like Eleanor of Aquitaine. Another example is the avocado which was regarded as an exotic import not so long ago. A good example is the tomato, unknown in Europe before the 1800s. These changes have increased the quality and volume of food as well as its diversity. The wooden plough has been replaced by the tractor, farmers with scythes have been replaced by combined harvesters, haycarts and horse transports have been replaced by diesel trucks. Machinery is mainly responsible for this significant change. Methods of farming, cultivating and transporting medieval food were very limited. It is also what helps define medieval food in its true context. This, along with the evolution of commercial food production methods, is perhaps the greatest influence on the food we eat today. Modern day cooking methods (microwaves, toasters, grills and fan ovens) have taken over. However, gone are the days of the medieval kitchen open hearth. The staples of medieval food such as bread, soup, meat, vegetables, honey and milk still provide the core of our diet today. It may be surprising to many people to discover this fact. Many types of medieval food are actually common to our 21st century diet.
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