In the Middle Ages rich people ate desserts like preserved fruits, jelly and dried fruit and wafers made from batter. The word biscuit is derived from the Latin words bis cotus, meaning twice baked. The idea of making biscuits goes bakc to the Romans. However biscuits as we know them were developed in the late Middle Ages. The Romans knew that eggs could be used for binding. However custard, as we know it was invented in the Middle Ages. However in the Middle Ages most puddings were meat based. Rice pudding was known but until the 19th century it was regarded as a medicine. It was supposed to be good for digestive ailments. The Tudors were also fond of sweet foods (if they could afford them). The rich ate preserved fruit, gingerbread, sugared almonds and jelly. However in the 16th century sugar was very expensive so most people used honey to sweeten their food. Marzipan was introduced into England in the late Middle Ages. It is a paste made of almonds and sugar. The Tudors used marzipan to make edible sculptures of animals, castles, trees and people called subtleties. From the Middle Ages people ate simnel cakes. (Simnel was originally the name of a fine flour). At Christmas the Tudors enjoyed mince pies, but they had far more significance than today in that they had 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and the apostles, they contained fruit (raisins, currants, prunes) and spices (cloves, mace, black pepper, saffron) and also mutton to represent the shepherds. The fashion was for them to be shaped like a crib, but this practice was banned by Oliver Cromwell. The Tudors also had Christmas pudding but this was shaped like a sausage and contained meat, oatmeal and spices. Twelfth Night cake was fruitcake baked with an item in like a coin or dried bean, whoever found it became King or Queen or host for the evenings entertainment. Another dessert, syllabub was invented in the 16th century. Moreover Banbury cakes were first mentioned in 1586. Blancmange was originally chicken stew but in the 17th century it became a white dessert. Barley sugar also dates from the 17th century. It is not known when liquorice was first grown in England. It was originally a medicine and Pontefract cakes were first made in the early 17th century. Bread and butter pudding also became a common dish in the 17th century. In the late 17th century the rich began eating ice cream. Many rich people built special underground chambers in the grounds of their houses for preserving ice during the summer. The ice was covered in straw to preserve it. In the late 18th century people began to eat macaroons.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 03:58:04 +0000