In this latest edition of Teasel's Tudor Trivia, historian Claire RIdgway and rescue dog Teasel share information on dining Tudor-style.
What did the Tudors eat off?
Did the Tudors use cutlery?
Did the Tudors eat at a table?
What did the Tudors drink out of?
Find out more about how the Tudors ate their meals in this talk from Claire and Teasel.
That was really interesting, thanks, Claire and Teasel!! Michelle t
I remember going to the Mary Arden farm and witnessed an interactive meal at midday and them explaining about the spoon being the spoon you got at your baptism and you took it with you. The Master asked one of the children had they been to the cafe to eat. When they said yes, he asked her did she have her own spoon? When she said no, he asked her how she had eaten her food? When she said they used a knife and folk there, everyone at the table pulled a horrified face. What? You ate from another spoon! Do you not know spoons carry ill humours and are unhealthy? Do you not carry a spoon which you keep clean and only you touch and eat from? For shame on your guardian for teaching you such ill manners. The kids face was a picture! It was really funny as everyone was in character. Given that diseases were ripe, one can see the sense in such advice. And then the mistress asked where she got such a luxury item as a folk as these were foreign and we don’t have such things in England. The little girl looked completely blank. Her teacher was trying not to laugh. They then explained that only Italy and France used a folk at this time, because they invented them. It was a really educational, about manners, the food, the conventional stuff, the wages the servants received, how the farm was run, even how they prepared food and washed up. No fairy liquid, just good old fashioned elbow grease and sunlight to dry the wooden dishes. They also used herbs and rose petals in water to wash their hands in, the herbs being anti bacterial, although they only knew they cleansed the water. If you are in the Staffordshire or Warwickshire countryside a few miles from the birthplace of the Bard, Stratford, visit Mary Arden farm in Arden village. A real Tudor day out.