Food and Feasts in Tudor Times

by Richard Balkwill

Looks at sixteenth-century farming methods, describes the kinds of food served in towns and for travelers and nobles, and shares period recipes

Genres: Tudor Period, History, Nonfiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1995

Reviews

[Samantha]

I knew going into this that it was a book directed at children, but that was alright. A basic overview and some ideas to slip into my current WIP were all I was really looking for. This book has some recipes in the back and a section on a noble feast, so it seemed sufficient. Then I reached the paragraph with the oft repeated myth regarding meat being highly spiced to cover up rot.

Meat was less expensive than spices in the 16th century.

I'm not sure where this idea originated, and I'm sure that some questionable meat was slathered in garlic and served up anyway, then as now. However, to imagine that this was commonplace is just plain silly. After all, rotten meat would still make people sick if they ate it.

This book did not provide much more than a quick online search, but if kids are interested in history enough to pick it up I consider that a good thing.

[Juliew.]

I honestly really enjoy these children's books about Tudor England.I like to use them to refresh my memory with commonly used words and phrases of the times which is useful if you read quite a few historical books as I do.Also on offer here were many maps,paintings,photographs and woodcuts.As well as chapters on Farming and Food in the Countyside,Food for Travelers,Food for Nobles and Royals,recipes and little side boxes explaining terms such as Chandlery,Wet Larders and Boiling houses.Also side boxes contained bits of history surrounding food during this time.And of course what would a book about food and feasts in Tudor times be without a few mentions of Henry VIII.

[Kara]

A very thorough introduction to the production and consumption of food by class, region, religion, climate and season in England and parts of Europe during the Tudor era, stuffed full of facts and an amazing array of food related pictures.

[Alicia]

I enjoyed this book because I am intrested in culinary and it talked about how they perserved food and how they ate in the Tudor times. It also had a few recipes which I thought was neat.