Cooking, dining and drinking

Food preparation, eating, and drinking became increasingly complex and engaging activities during the Middle Ages, and the properties of food and material culture were actively exploited to stimulate the senses of sight, smell, taste, and even touch. The subjects of medieval cooking, dining, and drinking have received considerable historical attention in recent years, yet the material culture associated with these activities has largely been overlooked, beyond inclusion in specialist reports. This chapter reviews the evidence for these consumptive practices, combining historical documentation, excavated artefacts, and other archaeological sources of evidence, to provide an overview of what was arguably the most important aspect of medieval life at all levels of society.