Donate SIGN UP

What type of foods would've been on a Scottish 10th century feast/banquet?

Avatar Image
sparkler | 17:03 Sun 03rd May 2009 | History
3 Answers
Could someone tell me what type's of food would've been on a Scottish 10th century feast? Please.
My son has to make a scene from Macbeth based around the banquet! So any help would be much appreciated.
Thankyou
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 3 of 3rss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by sparkler. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Pretty much anything, though the upper classes tended toward meat, as vegetables were considered lowly. Have a look here.
This scene from the Bayeux Tapestry shows a feast in the 11th century, so that's pretty close:
http://laviedemoi.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/ bayeux-cooks.jpg
I think the important features are the layout - narrow tables, people sitting one side only so servers could approach the other side - an open U-shape.
Many courses, as heathfield says, meat and fish mostly - you can see a whole roast fowl being offered in the tapestry scene - so rather like a barbecue but sitting down inside.....
Bread was used as a kind of plate - this is the origin of the word trencher, and is still used in French for a slice of bread (tranche)
Salt in an expensive bowl, metal or pottery, flavouring such as onions, and relishes and pickles can be assumed although the traffic in spices was still small scale.
Servers would bring round bowls to wash hands - food would be eaten with fingers and your own personal knife carried in your belt. No forks existed. Rich men would be served by their own personal servant even in someone else's hall.
Question Author
Thanx heathfield & Lil O'lady!! That's brilliant thankyou very much

1 to 3 of 3rss feed

Do you know the answer?

What type of foods would've been on a Scottish 10th century feast/banquet?

Answer Question >>