8. Medieval cooks used spices to cover the taste of rotten foods
A longstanding myth claims spices were coveted during the Middle Ages as a means of masking the smell and taste of rotten foods, especially meats. How and when it emerged is unknown, but what is known is that spices at the time were prohibitively expensive. Most came from Africa and the Indies and traveled a long and dangerous journey to reach European destinations. Having procured them at considerable expense, Medieval cooks did not waste them while preparing spoiled foods. Instead, they used them in the same manner as today. Spices and herbs enhanced the flavor and appearance of foods, rather than concealing their level of freshness, or rather their lack thereof.
Often the meat served at Medieval tables was freshly killed, from either game or domestic animals. This meant Medieval meals were often centered upon meat which was fresher than that found on tables today. While it is true that foods spoiled quickly during Medieval times, it was often because uneaten foods – leftovers, as it were – did not have a means of preservation, especially in warm periods. Wealthier families often disposed of leftovers by leaving them outside for the poor to pick over. Had they used spices to mask the flavor of spoiled foods, especially meats, they would have endured the same results as eating rotten meat today delivers.