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Gwen
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15th C. Europe foods and their availability

15th C. food avaiability was limited by season and region. Prior to the discovery of the “New World”, foods common in the Americas such as tomatoes and maize were completely unknown in 15th .C Europe. The advent of globally-transported food items has made seasonal and limited regional availability of foodstuffs obsolete, and almost any food item is available year round anywhere in the world. Reenactors should keep regional and seasonal availability in mind when planning event menues. The following lists are intended to assist in determining appropriate foods for specific locations and times of year.

These foods are known in 15th C. Europe and are appropriate for use at events.

ASSORTED STAPLES
Bread- whiter and finer for the upper classes, coarser bread for the lower classes.
Cheese- most types of modern cheeses are OK. Cottage cheese is a new or farmer’s type of cheese - “curds and whey”.
Eggs
Honey
Mustard

FRUITS / NUTS
Almonds
Asparagus Spring crop- available spring- summer only.
Chestnuts
Currants- Are the dried fruit of a bush and are not the same thing as raisins. Domestically produced
Dates- Imported from the Levant
Figs- Imported from the Levant
Pinolas- These come from Italy and would have been imported with sugar and spices
Prunes- are dried plums
Raisins- dried grapes- these would have been imported into England
Walnuts
Apples- Winter crop- Available fresh fall through spring, dried in summer
Apricots- Summer crop- Available fresh mid-late summer, dried other times
Cherries- Summer crop-Available fresh summer, dried other times
Grapes- Late summer crop-Available fresh summer, dried as raisins other times.
Melon- Available fresh summer, not available other times
Pears- Winter crop- Available fresh fall through spring
Plums- Available fresh summer, dried as prunes other times
Pomegranates- Available late fall only
Strawberries- Very limited availability spring/summer only

VEGETABLES
Cabbage- Winter crop- Available fresh fall through spring
Carrots- Available fresh summer through spring
Cress- Available fresh spring- summer
Garlic- Available all year
Herbs- Available fresh spring- summer, dried at other times
Leeks- Available fresh spring- fall
Lettuce- Available fresh spring- summer
Mushrooms- Available most of the year
Onions- Available most of the year
Parsnips & turnips- Winter crop- Available late summer through spring
Pot Greens (turnip, kale, etc.)- Available spring- summer
Peas- Available fresh spring- summer, dried at other times
Radishes- Available spring- summer
Spinach - Available spring- summer
Winter Squashes- Squashes such as zucchini were unknown. Medieval“Gourds” may be replaced by hard-skinned winter squashes.

GRAINS / BEANS
Barley- Mostly used for beer, rarely used for human consumption
Beans (Garbanzo, Fava, White)
Lentils
Oats or oatmeal- Rarely used for human consumption as a dish, but good thickener
Peas- Available fresh spring- summer, dried at other times
Rice- Imported from italy and the Levant
Wheat Commonly available except in times of famine
Rye Commonly available except in times of famine
Maislin- A wheat/rye mix. It was difficult to keep the 2 grains growing separately in the field.

MEATS
(Caveat- Meat made up the bulk of the upper class diet, grains the bulk of the lower. Upper classes would have “large joints” and roasts, the lower classes meat as an additive or flavoring agent in grain or vegetable-based pottages.)
Bacon A commonly available, lower class meat much used for flavoring
Beef
Chicken
Fish, fresh, dried or smoked- Dried or salted fish was eaten to excess.
Pork Probably the most commonly available meat and widely eaten meat, after fish
Sausages- Fresh widely used, no evidence English smoked sausages.
Wild game- Much eaten by the upper classes, off-limits to the lower.

DRINK
Ale
Cider
Mead
Wine- In England a costly import available only to those of sufficient means
Milk- generally reserved for old or infirm. No evidence that children were encouraged to drink it as is current custom.

“New World” - These foods are unknown in 15th C. Europe and therefore prohibited at Red Company events

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Just moving this to the top being that we've an event in Septembre.

~J

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