The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-09-22
What They Ate Two Hundred Years Ago.

An EnRllshman appetite has always
been famous. He was fond of good
solid eating. The farmer always had
his bacon and his fiitches of salt mutton
ON hand, in addition to salt beef and
barreled herrings from Yarmouth. In
all good houses there was an imposing
array of salting-tubs. The art of stall
feeding was almost unknown, and fresh
meat, if procurable in the winter, was
very lean. 1t cost from half-penny to
a penny per pound, which was equal to
penny or twopence of our money.
Fresh fish was the luxury of the rich,
obtained from their own ponds and
streams. Salt fish was common arti-
Gle Of diet amongst the working classes
Rye and barley bread were eaten by
the poor. Wheat was. often three
pounds quarter, or, as We would say,
120s. The prices of bread and beer
were regulated by local assize. Horse
bread was the name given to bread con-
veyed in packs; manchet was a fine
wheaton loaf of six ounces; mesline
bread was the penny loaf, and mayn
bread or demain, was the same as that
used III the sacrament Cakes of oats
and spice were on all good tables.
Pies and pasties were made of all
sorts of things Page invited Falstaff
to a dinner of "hot venison pasty,"
wound up by "pippins and cheese
The fee farm rent of Norwich consisted
of twenty-four herring pasties, of the
new season fish, favored with ginger,
pepper, cloves, galingals, and other
spices. On one occasion King James
LIS servants complained that four in
stead of five behring's were in each
pasty, and that they were mot baked
IN good and strong paste, as they ought
to be-" Artichokes were also baked in
pies, with marrow, dates, ginger and
raisins. Pilchard pasties were a Corn
ish dainty. In fact, the various pasties
still to be met with in Devon and
Cornwall are representative "survivals"
of Elizabethan diet The cooks are
chiefly French, but few of them were
Italians.
Very few vegetables were used, and
some were regularly imported, and
sailed down. Cabbages and onions
were sent from Holland to Hull The
Flemings commenced the first market
gardens. Lettuce was served as q sep
arate dish, and eaten at supper before
meat. Capers were usually eaten
boiled with oil and vinegar, as a salad
Eschalots were used to smear the plate
before putting meat on it. Carrots had
been introduced by the Flemings. Rhu-
barb, then called Patience, came from
China about 1873. The common peo-
pie ate turnip-leaves as n salad, and
roasted the root in wood-ashes. Water
cress was believed to restore the bloom
to young ladies' cheeks. In fact, all
vegetables were regarded more as med
icines than as necessary articles of food.
Flesh meals were more believed in than
anything else. They were eaten with a
knife and napkin, "The laudable
use of forks" as Ben Johnson has it,
did not commence until 1911, and was
rare for many years after. The custom
came from Italy, and the first forks
were preserved in glass cases as curiosi-
ties. A jeweled one was among the
New Years gifts to Queen Elizabeth.
Probably the absence of vegetables had
something TO do with the immense POI
tations of the time. Iago said the En-
glish could beat all other nations, and
were most potent in potting." AS tea
did not come into England until 1910,
and coffee until 1862, beer or wine was
taken at all meals.-From "The En-
gland of Shakespeare"