Food Fit for a 15th C. King

A noble boke off cookry ffor a prynce houssolde or eny other estately houssholde : reprinted verbatim from a rare ms. in the Holkham collection. – abebooks.com

The Noble Boke of Cookry:

 What a King had for dinner in the 15th Century

It is very satisfactory to know that in the reign of Edward IV., toward the close of the fifteenth century, the last of the house of York lived in a time when good eating was fully appreciated. There has just been exhumed in England a notable work, more precious to the classical gastronomist than the Domesday Book or all the rest of the old chronicles. This is nothing more nor less than the “Noble Boke of Cookry,” which tells of the feastings and junketings in the reign of Edward.


They had in those times a majestic way of doing things. Now, in our puny, matter-of-fact epoch, when Queen Victoria feasts at Windsor, her Majesty may be quite indifferent as to whether she eats her slice of bacon from the entire pig or not. When Edward was Monarch nothing but the whole hog sufficed. It was one of the points of culinary etiquette that for the “Kynge” or Lord, the entire animal, bird, or fish should be served. A commoner might have dished up before him and portion, like in our cheap restaurants of to-day, but before the mighty ruler it was the whole of the thing cooked that had to be presented or nothing at all. 

Now this Boke of Cookry is devoted to the menus of certain feasts, and just as to-day we use French names for things so did they adopt them. The best efforts of our decorative cooks would pall before the wonderful creations of those days. Here is a piece montée which appeared perhaps at the installation of Nevell, Archbishop of York end Chaunceler of England: ”A brod custad with a castell therin with a stuf in the castell of a gille and the demon in the myddes bringing a doctur to suttlote in a pulpit in clothing of crene tabard and hood with a rolle on his bed, wrytin theron “in deo salutare meo.” 

To eat the demon, in those days, must have been, indeed, an archiepiscopal triumph. This particular feast must have been a very grand one, for the description of it occupies not less than 12 pages. The Antiquary tells us that it consisted of a whole series of feasts, all of three courses, but as to wise method in these Courses none seems apparent. Every possible kind of fish, beast, and bird made its appearance. The menus of the month, which are printed in modern cook-books, have their precedents. 

Here is one entitled, Seruys in the monthe of Janyuarie: Braun and mustard; nombles to potage; pestelles of pork, and swans, martyns to potage, pigge pelle, lambe, cony, doucet of fritturs, and appilles." For a household during the same month, the following is presented for their consideration: “Ffurrcente to potage, with renyson, beef, mutton, swan, and pigge, martins to potage, vels, lamb, cony, and wilde fowle, birdes, and fritturs.’” Now, here is 2 regular first course, such as King Edward's mouth probably watered for. – The New York Times, 1881

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