Eating Through Time: Part 1 – The Tudors




As a self-proclaimed ‘foodie’ with a thirst for historical knowledge, the evolution of our dining table has always fascinated me.

Throughout this blog series, I’ll be delving into the best and worst of our culinary past, looking for historic recipes and eating habits from days gone by; from the crowded banquet halls of Henry VIII to the famine of the French Revolution.

Come with me as I take you on an edible journey through time, exploring the customs and traditions of the time.

the tudor period

We are starting our Time Series with the Tudor period; or specifically the reign of Henry VIII.

1509-1547

We are all familiar with perhaps the most famous monarch in history. His reign saw England break away from Rome, the formation of Parliament, the foundations of our modern Royal Mail and, of course, his six wives.

But what happened to the English palette in the 36 years that Henry VIII ruled?

When Henry succeeded his brother to the throne in 1509, he inherited a country united behind the monarchy, stable finances, and his brother’s wife.

Fruit was a constant feature on a Tudor table, with options ranging from those that could be grown in England, such as apples, pears, cherries, plums, and strawberries, to those that were imported from Spain after the arrival of Queen Catherine. of Aragon.

The pomegranate became the symbol of his house and was instrumental in the popularity of oranges at court. Records show that Henry, in particular, loved oranges; have them readily available to eat fresh and preserved as jam.

Cardinal Wolsey cultivated orchards at Hampton Court for the king’s consumption.

English food may not have appealed to the new Spanish queen, who would have been accustomed to Mediterranean tastes and cuisine, heavily influenced by the Moorish community and its use of exotic spices and fresh vegetables.

In my search for recipes from this period, I have come across this one from Andalusia in the 15th century; the autonomous community of southern Spain near Katherine’s native Granada.

Recipe for Thumlyya, a dish with garlic

An Andalusian recipe from the 15th century

Taken from ‘How to Milk an Almond, Stuff an Egg and Assemble a Turnip: A Thousand Years of Recipes’

by David Friedman and Elizabeth Cook

Ingredients:

5 oz of garlic 1 cup of ginger

1 h ¼ t clove

6 tablespoons of oil from 15 threads of saffron

½ teaspoon salt ½ cup whole almonds

½ teaspoon of pepper? c crushed almond

1 cup of cinnamon ¼ cup of murri

2 tablespoons of lavender -1 cup of flour – water

‘Take a chubby hen and scoop out what’s inside, clean it and set it aside. Then take four uquías (ounces) of peeled garlic and crush them until they are like brains, and mix with what comes out of the inside of the chicken. Fry in enough oil to cover, until the smell of garlic comes out. Toss this with the chicken in a clean pot with salt, pepper, cinnamon, lavender, ginger, cloves, saffron, whole shelled almonds, both mashed and whole, and a bit of murri (there is no modern recipe for murri, which is similar to to Chinese soy sauce). Seal the pot with the dough, place it in the oven and leave it until it’s done. Then take it out and open the pot, because its contents on a clean plate and an aromatic smell will come out of it and perfume the area.’

As Henry’s reign progressed, his well-documented affair with Anne Boleyn began. Anne spent much of her youth at the French court, first accompanying Henry’s 18-year-old sister Margaret on her journey to France to marry King Louis XII.

Henry and Anne’s affair lasted seven years before their infamous break with the Roman Catholic Church and their eventual marriage. His French influences would have played a significant role in the changing tastes and customs of the court.

In the 15th century, bread and cheese were a staple in French cuisine, meats and fruits were considered fit for royalty, and vegetables were considered a peasant food.

Pears stewed in wine were often eaten as an “end” to a meal, which may have been adopted by the English after Anne Boleyn became queen.

A day in the life of Henry VIII’s stomach

Henry often started his day with pike, plaice, roach, butter and eggs and chose to eat with 30 of his courtiers around 10am.

So Henry would have had a choice of at least 13 freshly cooked dishes at each lunch and dinner, choosing from a wide variety of cakes, meats, stews, jellies and fritters, all cooked by his personal chef, Pero Doux.

One of the essentials of Tudor cooking was spit-roasted meats. Pig, lamb, venison: they would be on the spit day after day, ready to serve the king and his court.

More unusual meats were reserved for banquets and occasions such as swan, peacock, heron, and venison.

Despite his ever-growing stomach, Henry and England adhered to the strict rule of fasting on Fridays and Saturdays and sometimes Wednesdays, which forbade eating meat and were only allowed to eat fish. During the Lenten period (March 2 – April 14) butter, eggs and dairy products were also prohibited.

To disobey the fasting rule was to risk an accusation of heresy, however, fasting did not mean that Henry ate less than usual.

Any other day was considered a ‘meat day’. Below is an example of what Henry would have expected to see on sale.

DECLARATION OF THE PARTICULAR ORDINANCES OF RATES FOR PERMISSIONS

TO BE SERVED TO THE HIGHNESS OF THE KING, TO THE GRACE OF THE QUEEN, AND TO THE SIDES,

WITH THE HOME, AND IN THE FOLLOWING.

THE DIET FOR THE MAJESTY OF THE KING AND THE GRACE OF THE QUEEN, OF EQUAL FARE,

IN ALL TWO MESSES, AS FOLLOWS.

IN A DAY OF MEAT

DINNER. SUPER.

Cheat Bread and Manchett, 16 Cheat Bread and Manchett, 16

Beate and Ale, 6 Gal Beate and Ale, 6 Gal

wyne wyne

Meat for Stew 8 Meat for Stew 8

Beef Tenderloins 8 Chickens at Crimary, Larkes

Rammeners in Stew, or Cap 6 Sparrows or Lambe,

Deer in brewz or mult 4 stewed with chynes of 13

Reed Deere Pestels 2 Lamb

Lamb 6 Giggots of Lamb or Venison

Carps or Yong Veale in – -son, stopped with Cloves 6

Arm’, forced 1 Capons 4

Swanne 1 Conyes 2

Capons 2 Phesant, Herne, Shove-

Conyes 1 – bacon 4

Fryanders, baked carp 1 Roosters, plovers or seagulls 2

Pastry cream with garnish 12 Sweet Dowcetts or Orange 10

or donuts 8 quinces or sunflower seeds 2

Along with recognizable options, the Tudors enjoyed many delicacies that would raise an eyebrow or two today.

Grilled beavertail would be served most Fridays, as the Tudors classified beaver as a fish. The whale and the porpoise were boiled or roasted and were the favorites of Catherine of Aragon.

From fast to peasant

When the king and the people at court consumed an immeasurable amount of calories, the poorer people of England had a much simpler menu.

Meat was in short supply for the everyday Tudor peasant, so fresh vegetables, bread, and beers were the staple. Potaje arises throughout history in many varieties, and the meatier stew is even served to the King.

The basic porridge of vegetables and oatmeal would have been a regular sight at the dinner table for those not at court. Similar to our stews today, the recipe is simple and easy to follow.

Soup

Ingredients:

½ onion

Vegetables (whatever you prefer: carrot, parsnip, cabbage, leek, etc.)

300 ml of broth (or just warm water for the average peasant)

Herbs (such as parsley, mint, rosemary, thyme, and sage, which were readily available)

1 teaspoon of pepper

4 tablespoons of porridge

bread (optional)

method

Prepare the vegetables (peel and cut to the thickness you want).

Soften onions in a pan before adding other vegetables.

Cover with broth or warm water until they begin to soften.

Add a good handful of herbs, salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and let it cook.

When the water starts to boil add the oatmeal. Cook for 4-5 minutes until everything is combined.

Eat alone or with bread.

six wives

Wrapping up our Tudor journey, I will focus on perhaps the most famous element of Henry VIII’s reign: his wives.

Each wife has her own backstory and tragic life, whether they were divorced, beheaded, died, or survived. But what were her favorite things to eat from her?

Catherine of Aragon. Dec 1485 – Jan 1536 Divorced

In addition to the fruit native to her Spanish roots, Katherine liked to eat boiled whale.

Anne Boleyn July 1501 – May 1536 beheaded

Anne was reported to have a fondness for certain fruits such as damsons, plums, and strawberries. During one of her pregnancies, she had a ‘raging desire to eat apples’

Jane Seymour 1509 – Oct 1537 Died

Henry spared no expense to keep Jane happy. When she had a craving for quail eggs during her pregnancy, Henry had a box adorned with the delicacies sent from Calais.

Anne of Cleeves Sep 1515 – Jul 1557 Divorced

A popular German treat that Anne may have enjoyed was ‘Gefuellte Semmeln’. A bread roll, filled with jam/marmalade, covered in sugar and spices and fried in egg yolks.

Katheryn Howard 1523-February 1542 Beheaded

The young queen was perhaps not well suited to court customs. Described as childish and naive, Katheryn liked to snack on marchpane, small almond balls, a marzipan-like sugar snack.

Catherine Parr August 1512 – September 1548 survived

A popular candy at the time was ‘Maids of Honor’. A predecessor of the modern cheesecake, made with cottage cheese, often found at court and possibly enjoyed by the queen.

Watch out for my next trip to the dining tables of times gone by!

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