The food of the middle ages was very different from the food of today.During the Middle Ages in North Europe in 9000 B.C. and the beginning of the Christian era, western civilization came into being in Egypt and in what historians call Ancient Western Asia (modern-day Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, southwestern Russia, Iraq and Iran). they mainly used cattle and sheep for food. In South Europe, they also had fruits, vegetables, and herbs for food. Some common foods we take for granted were unavailable, and some foods available then are rarely eaten today. .
A banquet was sometimes made up of 6 courses. It provided food for everyone, not just the rich and famous. Rules were laid down for how people ate, table manners and where they sat. They used the same utensils for eating as we do today, such as spoons and knifes. They also used trenchers, which were things like plates except they were pieces of hard bread that would soak up the blood and liquids from the chicken, turkey and other meats.
Considering the fact that they had no tools like refrigerators for preserving their food, it was preserved in a number of ways. One of the ways was that, meats and fishes were smoked or dried. Another way of preserving was that fruits and vegetables were pickled. Meat for the winter was salted in huge wooden vats. Sometimes meat and fruit were stored together in barrels. Which today obviously would be considered very un- sanitary. Food was often disguised with spices to hide the taste of rotten meat. The warmest place in the kitchen was the blazing hearth. A hearth was a huge fireplace. The kitchen was a very lively place. (http://www.sron.nl/~jheise/akkadian/prehistory.html).
Castles were known to have kept honeybees. Honey was used to sweeten foods and drinks. Sometimes water was channeled straight to the kitchen. Larger castles had their own fishponds, orchards, and vineyards. None of the following foods were used in Europe until the 16th century, and even then, they were uncommon: potatoes, tomatoes, sweet corn, sweet peppers, chili peppers, pineapples, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, and tea.
