The course of the meal
Medieval doctors and philosophers were divided over the proper foods for consumption and the proper means of consuming them. Nearly all agreed that eating upon arising on the morning was bad for the health, other than for children, and that the largest meal of the day should be taken around noon. The manner in which food was taken was also considered important to health, with lighter foods taken first to “open” the stomach, followed by heavier foods, and then finally those which encourage digestion to “close” the stomach.
The medieval feast was typically served in a manner which reflected these beliefs. The first servings were of fruit and vegetables, the type dependent on the region. In the Mediterranean areas this could be grapes and olives, while in Northern climes guests were served apples and various nuts, often sugared. The heavy course of meat included lamb, pork, both from domesticated pigs and wild boar, occasionally beef, venison, rabbit, squirrel, and other game. Fowls included chickens, ducks, geese, grouse, swans, and even peacocks and peahens.
Pottages and stews were common, brought to the table in the pots in which they were cooked, and guests used their spoons to transfer the contents to their plates, which were often flatbreads. Other plates were of wood or pewter. Once food was on the plate it was either eaten using the spoon and knife, or by using the fingers. Napkins were scarce, and between dishes the servants would offer guests a finger bowl and towel to cleanse the fingers before going on to the next dish. Some pottages included meats, a pottage of kid goat and leeks was a popular dish in Northern Europe.
The heavy portion of the meals was followed with digestives, as the table was cleared of the heavier foods, giving us the word dessert, derived from the French desservir. Almonds coated with honey or sugar, along with cheeses of varieties determined by location, were common. Blessed were the cheesemaker’s and their product’s. These were served with wafers similar to what Americans call cookies and their British cousins biscuits. Mulled ciders and wines often were lingered over, particularly in the cold months of the year. A period of rest following the completion of the meal was deemed paramount to healthful digestion.
A long, boisterous and rollicking drinking session typically did not follow a medieval banquet. Those didn’t become commonplace until the Reformation. During the medieval period the authority of the Catholic Church was unquestioned, and officially the practices of gluttony and drunkenness were sinful. Because of the Church’s position, no self-respecting Lord of the Manor would host a feast without having the Church’s representative present as a guest. In many areas of France and Spain in particular, the Lord of the Manor was a Bishop of the Church, and the feast was a celebration of one if the Feast Days of the ecclesiastical calendar.