FOOD IN MEDIEVAL TIMES
In the hierarchical society of the Middle Ages in which one’s status
and good manners determined one’s place at the dinner table, being a
glutton and looking after one’s own belly without any consideration
for one’s fellow diners was unacceptable behavior. In fact, it was ex-
pected that the diner offer the best pieces to others, and that women
should appear disinterested in food.43 Given the lack of individual
place settings and the arrangement of guests in messes of usually be-
tween two and six people, sharing was an important aspect of medieval
dining. The very term “companion” originally meant the person one
shared bread with.44 Sharing with diners of lower rank was seen as gra-
cious courtesy, but it did not mean sharing the actual dinner table with
the really poor and destitute. In bigger households the almoner was
the go-between who handed out the food donations to the less fortu-
nate. There are indications in the sources, however, that people shared
food with their pets at dinner, and judging from the famous illustra-
tion that shows the duke of Berry at a lavish banquet, little lap dogs
could even be found running around on the high table in between the
dishes of food.45 Etiquette books, insofar as they address the issue of
pets at all, discourage petting one’s dog at dinner.
Cleanliness and hygiene were a concern for host and guests alike. In
French courtesy books diners were advised to first look to see if their
seat was clean before they sat down.46 And of course, they were only
allowed to sit down once the lord had taken his seat. Throughout the
meal diners had to follow the cue of the lord at the high table. The
hand-washing ceremony at the beginning of each dinner was a clear
sign that utmost importance was placed on clean fingers and hands.47
Hence spitting into the water basin, splashing water over one’s neigh-
bor, and making the common towel overly dirty were seen as im-
proper behavior. Bread was to be cut or broken off a shared loaf, but
never bitten off. Pieces of bread used to sop or soak up wine or other
liquids were not to be dipped in a dish a second time, or more bread
dipped in the liquid than one was prepared to eat. When bread was cut
off a big round loaf, this was not to be done holding the loaf against
one’s chest. As is evident in the case of the trencher, bread was more
than just a foodstuff at a medieval dinner. It could serve as a plate, a
spoon, or a towel to wipe the actual spoon or knife clean. Using the
tablecloth instead was not regarded as an acceptable alternative.
Strict rules governed the use of salt at the table. Ideally diners would
lift salt out of the saltcellar with their clean knife and deposit it on their
trencher for future use. Under no circumstances was meat or any
other food to be dipped in the saltcellar. Once taken out of the com-
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