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Food and Drinks during the Elizabethan Era
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Food and Drinks during the Elizabethan Era
By Jennifer Zhong
Overview
Overview
People during this era all had similar diets to other people of their own class or social caste. Wealthy people generally had a more varied selection of food than the peasants or the commoners.
The Different Classes
Different Classes
The wealthy people had their own private chefs, and they were usually the first to buy the new foods or ingredients that England obtained by trading. On the other hand, commoners, or the middle class, all shared a communal oven. The poor, or the lower class, would barely have enough food to get by during the winter time.
The Poor
The Poor &
The Wealthy
- Staple foods were bread and cheese
- Shared a communal oven
- Could not afford spices until later
- Saved meat for special occasions
Poor
vs Wealthy
The Wealthy
During this time, fish was often consumed. People ate fish on every Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Sugar was also first introduced, which made it very expensive. Because it was so expensive, the wealthy consumed lots of it, and black teeth was soon associated with wealth and high class.
- Had private chefs
- Often had a small sample of meat before putting it on their plates
- Were the first to buy spices and ate lots of sugar
Ways People Cooked
Food
People all used open fires during this time period to cook. But depending on what they are cooking, their methods might vary. They would use cauldrons to boil vegetables and use pans to fry fish in butter. As time passed and spices became more common, people had the tendency to use a lot of spices when cooking, for they preserved meat by salting them. All the spices they added would cover up the saltiness, which made the food a lot more appealing to eat.
Food for the Wealthy
Food Presentation
Because the wealthy had their own cooks, their food would often be presented in an extravagant way. For big feasts, private chefs often cooked food in odd shapes that would be adorned with a decorative piece. For example, peacock feathers were often used as an ornamental piece to make the finished dishes look fancier.
Shopping for Food
Topic
Women during this era never had to travel far to obtain the food/drinks they needed. The stores were dispersed all over England, and all the markets were controlled/overlooked by a Lord Mayor, who stopped any kind of offenses. Shoppers who go to these markets did not have the need to go into these stores. Instead, the apprentice would bring out what the shopper needed.
Drinks
Drinks
People during this era did not like water because it was tasteless and it usually contained diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. Instead of water, people drank beer, ale, and wine. Because all of these drinks contained alcohol, the children would drink ale that had lower alcohol content. Beer and ale were mostly consumed by the middle class and the poor people. Wine was reserved for the wealthy.
Works Cited
Works Cited
Alchin, Linda K. “Elizabethan Food.” ELIZABETHAN FOOD, 16 May 2012, https://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-food.htm.
Alchin, Linda K. “Old Elizabethan Recipes.” Old Elizabethan Recipes, 16 May 2012, https://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/old-elizabethan-recipes.htm.
Cartwright, Mark. “Food & Drink in the Elizabethan Era.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 24 Oct. 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1578/food--drink-in-the-elizabethan-era/.
Picard, Liza. “Food in Elizabethan England.” British Library, British Library, 15 Mar. 2016, https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/food-in-elizabethan-england.