I've been reading a book about "Latin American Cuisine".
They started to list the foods that came from the New World;

Corn Potatoes Yams Chili Peppers
Beans Squash Tomatoes Chocolate,
etc.etc.

I can't imagine a meal without one of these ingredients.

Pre-Columbian European cooking must've been pretty dull.
Cabbage, beets, pork, grain-based starches.....

Imagine Italian cooking without tomatoes.
or Asian cuisine without peppers.

What made up a common meal in 14th century Europe ?


<rj>

<RJ> wrote:
> [snip]
> What made up a common meal in 14th century Europe ?
>
Europe in the 14th century was a disaster, with the Black (bubonic)
Plague killing off probably half the population. Not a time for
festive dining. -aem

<RJ> wrote:
> I've been reading a book about "Latin American Cuisine".
> They started to list the foods that came from the New World;
>
> Corn Potatoes Yams Chili Peppers
> Beans Squash Tomatoes Chocolate,
> etc.etc.
>
> I can't imagine a meal without one of these ingredients.
>
> Pre-Columbian European cooking must've been pretty dull.
> Cabbage, beets, pork, grain-based starches.....
>
> Imagine Italian cooking without tomatoes.
> or Asian cuisine without peppers.
>
> What made up a common meal in 14th century Europe ?
>
>
> <rj>

Would depend on your location and social status.
Try this link for some English info:

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/

Bubba

--
You wanna measure or you wanna cook?

Bubba wrote:
> <RJ> wrote:
>> I've been reading a book about "Latin American Cuisine".
>> They started to list the foods that came from the New World;
>>
>> Corn Potatoes Yams Chili Peppers
>> Beans Squash Tomatoes Chocolate,
>> etc.etc.
>>
>> I can't imagine a meal without one of these ingredients.
>>
>> Pre-Columbian European cooking must've been pretty dull.
>> Cabbage, beets, pork, grain-based starches.....
>>
>> Imagine Italian cooking without tomatoes.
>> or Asian cuisine without peppers.
>>
>> What made up a common meal in 14th century Europe ?
>>
>>
>> <rj>
>
> Would depend on your location and social status.
> Try this link for some English info:
>
> http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/
>
> Bubba
>
Lots of stew/soup type dishes until the wide spread use of Cast iron or
standardized cuts of meat, if you even had access to meat.

"" wrote:
>
> I've been reading a book about "Latin American Cuisine".
> They started to list the foods that came from the New World;
>
> Corn Potatoes Yams Chili Peppers
> Beans Squash Tomatoes Chocolate,
> etc.etc.

That's about it. Not much more than that. True yams come from Africa
not the New World (but presumably you meant sweet potatoes). Only
certain beans are New World; other legumes are Old World.

> I can't imagine a meal without one of these ingredients.

Think the food the rest of the world eats.

>
> Pre-Columbian European cooking must've been pretty dull.
> Cabbage, beets, pork, grain-based starches.....

Not at all. Remember that wheat, rice, citrus fruits, apples etc were
imported *into* the New World. There were also game animals and fish.
Plenty of herbs/wild salad greens depending on climate. Plenty of fruits
and berries in season. People preserved much more food than is done now
in the US.
>
> Imagine Italian cooking without tomatoes.

Very easily. Most Italian cooking doesn't involve tomatoes. Go read some
good cookbooks.


> or Asian cuisine without peppers.

Also easily done. Black pepper didn't come from the New World and it's
easy to do Asian cooking without a single chile.
>
> What made up a common meal in 14th century Europe ?

Just as in the US heavily dependent on location and income.

There are library books on Mediaeval cooking.