FOOD IN MEDIEVAL TIMES
with people enacting historical, or mythical scenes. Entremets were
then purely a feast for the eye, and no longer for the stomach.
Following the entremets, a French banquet would continue with an
assortment of dishes ranging from the prized venison to the lowly fru-
menty. Made from hulled wheat berries, milk, egg yolks, and ginger,
frumenty was equally at home on the dining tables of the rich and the
poor.83 The Viandier does not have a separate section on sweet
desserts in the modern sense of the word; Taillevent’s focus is clearly
on meat and fish dishes. The reason for this may be that some food-
stuffs served did not need any special preparation, such as fruits and
nuts, and that other individuals were specialized in the pastries and
confections typically eaten at the end of a banquet. The oubloyer
(maker of oublies, or wafers), for instance, provided the waffles and
thin wafers which, along with cheese, candied fruits, hippocras, or
sweet malmsey, formed a course the French called issue de table, or
“departure from the table.” The épicier delivered the épices de cham-
bre or “parlor spices” eaten at the boutehors in a different room.84 They
included dragées, candied aniseed or coriander seed, and gingerroot.85
Aside from aiding digestion they were intended to freshen the breath,
much like the mints served at the end of a restaurant meal today.
In studying the handful of cookbooks from northern France that
have come down to us, some features emerge that can be considered
typical of the aristocratic cuisine in this region.86 French cooks ex-
celled in the preparation of meat and fish dishes, especially potages,
broths, civets, roasts, and the sauces that went with them. The use of
dough is relatively rare with the exception of some standard pies. Pasta
dishes, so popular in Italy, and even found in England, are not part of
French cookery. Equally lacking are the dumplings and stuffed fritters
found in central European cookbooks. Omelets are not particularly
common in the French sources, and the same is true for candied
foods, compotes, and jams. What we do find in the French recipe col-
lections, however, are a plethora of dishes named after specific places
and peoples, some of them exotic. This may be a reflection of north-
ern France’s location on the crossroads of so many trade routes.
When it comes to the flavor of French cuisine, it was probably
shaped more than anything by the addition of its characteristic spices
and spice powders, and the liquid food additives almond milk, must,
verjuice, wine, and vinegar. The taste of many dishes must have been
sweet-sour with some being distinctly bitter, especially those that con-
tained sorrel or the ubiquitous verjuice. Aside from their aroma, many
of the herbs and spices used in the French aristocratic kitchen im-
110
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