EATING HABITS AND FOOD IDEAS
the jug itself was turned into an animal, such as a griffin or a lion.15
The recipes for scented water that have come down to us suggest that
in addition to hygiene, sensual pleasures were also derived from the
ritual of hand washing in the Middle Ages.
Another important aspect of the medieval dining experience were
the many different drinking vessels in use. They ranged from the tra-
ditional drinking horn rested on legs, and the mazer, a shallow
wooden drinking vessel, often with a silver band around the rim, or a
metal foot, to various types of cups and goblets. Glass was precious in
the Middle Ages and rarely used at table. Pottery was much cheaper
and more durable and therefore very popular, especially the rich and
intricate designs from Malaga, in Andalusia, and Valencia, in Aragon,
that were produced by skilled Arab craftsmen and combined Moslem
and Christian motifs.16 Pewter and silver cups are also frequently men-
tioned in the medieval sources. A few rich households boasted a wine
fountain in silver or pewter. By means of a manual pump wine was
channeled into spouts from which the precious liquid spewed into a
basin that formed the fountain’s base. Serving staff would replenish
their empty pitchers at this fountain and continue serving the diners
with wine.17
Since the more luxurious dinnerware was not just functional but
also regarded as a status symbol, it was never left unattended in the
great hall, but rather locked away only to be brought out on special
occasions. Big medieval feasts were occasions when the great hall was
transformed into a stage on which the diners were both spectators and
actors. Along with the serving staff, musicians, singers, jugglers,
jesters, actors, and dancers, the guests played their part in a spectacle
that was minutely choreographed.
How important appearance was has been emphasized repeatedly in
the description of the exquisite upper-class dishes in Chapter 3. In
many cases, shape, color, and surprise effect played as big a role as fla-
vor. But these dishes were not consumed in a vacuum, they needed
the right setting to bring out their full splendor. This setting was pro-
vided by the great hall decorated with colorful tapestries, wall paint-
ings, flower garlands, and representational objects, and populated by
diners in luxurious outfits and servers in beautiful livery. The stage di-
rections for these colorful pageants have come down to us in the form
of ordinances for aristocratic families, and etiquette books for house-
hold staff and diners. For the host, a lavish feast was an opportunity to
display his wealth and affirm his power, and for the guests the invita-
tion to the feast attested to their importance, it established or ce-
161
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