Eat the Middle Ages
Our friends at the Getty (in LA) have something delicious in store
Modern Medieval
by David M. Perry and Matthew Gabriele
We’re always excited here at Modern Medieval when folks find innovative ways to engage the medieval past and bring it to the public. We’re especially excited when it’s delicious…
On October 12, the Getty Museum is hosting “Medieval Road Food: Eating and Drinking on the Go,” related to their medieval travel exhibit that we covered in August. We know of course that medieval people traveled, but … a question near and dear to our hearts … what did they eat?
We are given a fascinating glimpse into historical road food by physician Gugliermo Grataroli, who penned a book of eating advice for fellow travelers. His Regimen Omnium Iter Agentium (Diet for Everyone on the Road), published in 1556, instructed travelers on how to stay healthy on the go.
The ticketed event will involve eating snacks based on Grataroli’s book. Neither of us can go to this event, but we were delighted to briefly talk to food historian Ken Albala, who will be speaking at the event, about medieval road food.
What do we know about Gugliermo Grataroli, why he wrote this book, and did anyone read it? Do we know anything about its reception?
He’s a fascinating figure, an Italian Protestant who had to flee his native Bergamo Italy and was on the road quite a while until he finally settled in Basel to practice medicine. This book on traveling was written in Latin so that would probably have limited the readership but his far more popular work on diet was translated into English and was pretty popular. He also wrote on alchemy and many other topics.
What's the most surprising or weirdest food item in Grataroli's book?
It doesn’t contain weird food per se, but I find it very amusing that he suggests very concentrated and nutritious snack-foods would be good for travelers, pastries and candy, the same sort of things we might buy in a gas station on the road.
What are you most excited to eat at this event?
I really love the pork pie, it’s from Taillevent and I’ve made it a few times. Very spicy and savory.
Is there anything in the book you would really like to eat that isn't being served? Ingredients we just can't get?
The recipes mostly come from Livre fort excellent which I translated with a friend a few years back. There are MANY things I’d love to eat in the book that are illegal, like cranes and herons. We thought maybe eels for this tasting, but just not available fresh.
The event is Sunday October 12 in LA and tickets are available ($125) at the link provided.
UPDATE: At the top, we said 10/15 when the event is 10/12. Also, a reader asked about the pork pie recipe and Ken Albala generously shared his recipe. It’s in medieval French though, so good luck! :)
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