The Food and Form of a Feast
Hannah Epstein
Feasts in the time of both Shakespeare and Richard were extremely grand occasions, carried out with a great deal of pomp and circumstance. By taking a closer look at what would have been served, one might understand why Richard’s feasts were so costly, and also so despised by his tax-payers. In her article on the subject of Elizabethan food, Katherine Morse includes a comment from Mrs. C.F Frere that, “A feast of the 16th century…was a serious and lengthy affair, needing, for the cooks, days of preparation”(cited in Morse 98). These days of preparation might seem excessive to the modern cook, but a look into what was served makes those days seem, not only necessary, but perhaps too short a time to work such wonders with the tools that were available at the time. In his introduction to The English Housewife by Gervaise Markham, editor Michael R. Best includes a description of the fantastic sugar work that was included in a banquet for Queen Elizabeth. These works included, though were not limited to, models of actual castles and forts, models of people, and models of animals, both mythical and real (Markham xxxviii).
Not only were there remarkable works in sugar and pastry served at banquets, there were also magnificent meat dishes. Morse writes, “the great ceremonial dish at Christmas was, of course, the Boar’s head set up on the neck in the platter, with an apple or a lemon in his mouth, sprigs of rosemary in his ears and nose, and garlands wreathing the salver of gold” (99). This was among a number of fantastic meat dishes that graced sixteenth century banquet tables. Some represented mythical beasts; for example the cockatrice, the front of a pig and the back of a capon, sewed together and gilded with egg yolk and presented on an elaborate platter. Not just anyone could carve and serve these dishes, however. Carving was done sometimes by the most distinguished guest, but later in the period was done by a “’Kerver’ with elaborate art” (Morse 99). These ‘kervers’ had to follow very specific instructions and practices in order to be worthy of the task.
Entertainment was also a critical part of any feasting occasion. One entertainment, of course, was music, dancing, and masqueing, but the food also sometimes served as entertainment. One such culinary entertainment was animated pies, sometimes containing animals, such as birds, and even containing a dwarf (Morse 100). Elaborate food sculptures, not intended to be eaten, were also sometimes presented for the amusement of the guests.
There were many reasons to feast. Some of the most common were holy days in the Christian calendar, hence “feast days.” Another important feasting occasion, particularly in Shakespeare’s Henriad, was a coronation. In his chronicles, Robert Fabyan lists foods served at a feast for King Henry V, such as, “frumenty with uenison” and “sygnet rosted” (VII:404). Also in the Henriad, Richard orders a feast prepared for himself and his rival lords in Ireland, in the hopes of presenting England as wealthy and powerful. Feasting was an important status symbol, as only those with great wealth could afford to feast and be hospitable (Lin 284).
Not only were there remarkable works in sugar and pastry served at banquets, there were also magnificent meat dishes. Morse writes, “the great ceremonial dish at Christmas was, of course, the Boar’s head set up on the neck in the platter, with an apple or a lemon in his mouth, sprigs of rosemary in his ears and nose, and garlands wreathing the salver of gold” (99). This was among a number of fantastic meat dishes that graced sixteenth century banquet tables. Some represented mythical beasts; for example the cockatrice, the front of a pig and the back of a capon, sewed together and gilded with egg yolk and presented on an elaborate platter. Not just anyone could carve and serve these dishes, however. Carving was done sometimes by the most distinguished guest, but later in the period was done by a “’Kerver’ with elaborate art” (Morse 99). These ‘kervers’ had to follow very specific instructions and practices in order to be worthy of the task.
Entertainment was also a critical part of any feasting occasion. One entertainment, of course, was music, dancing, and masqueing, but the food also sometimes served as entertainment. One such culinary entertainment was animated pies, sometimes containing animals, such as birds, and even containing a dwarf (Morse 100). Elaborate food sculptures, not intended to be eaten, were also sometimes presented for the amusement of the guests.
There were many reasons to feast. Some of the most common were holy days in the Christian calendar, hence “feast days.” Another important feasting occasion, particularly in Shakespeare’s Henriad, was a coronation. In his chronicles, Robert Fabyan lists foods served at a feast for King Henry V, such as, “frumenty with uenison” and “sygnet rosted” (VII:404). Also in the Henriad, Richard orders a feast prepared for himself and his rival lords in Ireland, in the hopes of presenting England as wealthy and powerful. Feasting was an important status symbol, as only those with great wealth could afford to feast and be hospitable (Lin 284).