ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Medieval cuisine

Alright kiddo, let's talk about what people used to eat a long, long time ago during the medieval period. Back then, people didn't have containers like the ones we use now to store their food, so they had to find ways to preserve their food for as long as possible. They used techniques like smoking, salting, pickling, and drying to keep their food fresh.

Meat was a big part of medieval cuisine, and people ate a lot of it. They hunted animals like deer, rabbits, and boars and raised livestock like cows, pigs, and sheep. They also ate fish and birds like ducks and geese. To cook their meat, people used big open fires and ovens that were made of stone or clay.

Vegetables were also a part of medieval cuisine, but they weren't as widely eaten as meat. Vegetables like cabbage, onions, and beans were popular, and people often mixed them with meat in dishes like stews and soups. Many people also grew herbs in their gardens, which they would use to add flavor to their dishes.

Bread was a staple food in medieval times and was made in many different ways, using different kinds of flours, such as wheat or barley. People often used flatbread to wrap their meat and vegetable fillings, making a sandwich of sorts. They also used bread to make porridge, which was a kind of breakfast oatmeal-like dish.

Finally, drinks were an important part of medieval cuisine. People drank ale, which was beer made without hops, and wine, which was made from grapes. Water wasn't always clean to drink back then, so people often drank ale or wine with their meals instead.

So, all in all, medieval cuisine was a simple diet of meat, bread, vegetables, and drinks, with a focus on preserving food and making it last as long as possible.