Description
Eating with the Tudors is an extensive collection of authentic Tudor recipes that tell the story of a dramatically changing world in sixteenth-century England. This book highlights how religion, reformation and politics influenced what was served on a Tudor’s dining table from the very beginning of Henry VII’s reign to the final days of Elizabeth I’s rule.
Discover interesting little food snippets from Tudor society, carefully researched from household account books, manuscripts, letters, wills, diaries and varied works by Tudor physicians, herbalists and chronologists. Find out about the Tudor’s obsession with food and uncover which key ingredients were the most popular choice. Rediscover old Tudor favourites that once again are being celebrated in trendy restaurants and learn about the new, exotic food that excited and those foods that failed to meet the Elizabethan expectations.
Eating with the Tudors explains the whole concept of what a healthy balanced meal meant to the people of Tudor England and the significance and symbology of certain food and its availability throughout the year. Gain an insight into the world of Tudor food, its role to establish class, belonging and status and be tempted to re-create some iconic Tudor flavours and experience for yourself the many varied and delicious seasonal tastes that Tudor dishes have to offer. Spice up your culinary habits and step back in time to recreate a true Tudor feast by impressing your guests the Tudor way or prepare a New Year’s culinary gift fit for a Tudor monarch.
My Thoughts
Serious foodie historians will adore this engaging and well-written history of food in Tudor times. There’s an interesting overlay with 20th/21st century nutrition with Tudor food preparation and consumption, paired with a fascinating look at who ate what and when. It’s fascinating to read about how cooks and people in general were trying to understand the properties of food and how different foods affected different people. There was a lot of superstition associated with food preparation and consumption, which adds another layer of interest to the narrative.
I also had no idea the Church controlled so much of what, when, and how people ate. The restrictions associated with all the holy days were just mind-boggling!
Recommended for large library collections, serious foodies, and anyone who prepares food at the Renaissance Festival!
Publication Date: July 30, 2023
Published By: Pen & Sword
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy
It's All About the Book 