The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-09-29
What They Ate Two Hundred Years Ago.

An Englishman's appetite has always
been famous. He was fond of good
solid eating: The farmer always had
his bacon and his bitches of salt mutton
on hand, in addition "a. salt beef and
barreled .herfings from Yaffn6uth In
all good houses thbte WIS tth imposing
array Of salting-tubs. Tie ait 1T stall
feeding was almost unknown, and fresh
meat, if procurable in the winter, was
very lean. 1t cost from ahalf-penny to
a penny per pound, which was equal to
a penny or twopence of our money.
Fresh fish was tbs luxury Of the rich,
obtained from theif 0wh ponds and
streams. Salt fish was 8 common arti-
Gle Of diet amongst the, working classes.
Rye and barley brsaH we're eaten by
the poor. Wheat was often thrtb
pounds quarter, or, as We would say,
ZOOS. The prices of bread and beer
were regulated by local assize. Horse
Tread was the name givgh 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 domain, was the same as that
used in the sacrament. Cakes of oats
and spice were on all good tables.
Pies and pasties were made of all
sorts Of things; Page invited Falstaf
to d dinner, Of shot 9enis6n pasty,a
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.
rs servants complained that four in
stead Of five behring's we're in each
pasty, and that they we're t'h1t baked
IN good and strong paste, slthey ought
to be-" Artichokes were also baked In
pies, with marrow, dates, ginger and
raisins. Pilehard pasties were a Corn
ish dainty. In fact, the various pasties
still to be met with in Devon and
! Cornwall are representative ''suryiyals"
of Elizabethan diet. The, cooks are
chiefly French, but a few of them were
/ Italians. F,a ..3st4 aa.eG. IL.
I Very few vegetables were used, and
some were regularly imported, and
salted down. Cabbages and onions
were sent from Holland to Hull. The
I Flemings commenced the first market
gardens. Lettuce was served as sep
arate dish, and eaten at supper before
meat Capers were usually eaten
boiled with oil and vinegar, as salad.
Eschalots were used to smear the plate
before putting meat lit. Carrots had
been introduced by the Flemings. Rhu-
barb, then called Patience, came from
/ China about 1873. The common peo-
pie ate turnip-leayes as a salad, and
roasted the root in wood-ashes. Water
!. cress was believed to restore the bloom
Il to Young ladies' cheeks. In fact, all
vegetables were regarded more as med
I icines than as necessary articles of food.
/ Flesh meals were more believed in than
/ anything else. They were eaten with a
knife and a napkin, 'eeThe laudable
use of forks" as Der Johnson has it,
Il did not commence until 1911, and was
rare for many years after. The custom
j came from Italy, and the first forks
were preserved in glass cases as cJriosi-
ties. A jeweled one was among the
/ New Years gifts to Queen Elizabeth.
4 Probably the absence of vegetables had
something to do, with the immense po-
J. tationslof the time Iago said the En-
glish could beat all other nations, and
were most potent in potting.Y As tea
did not come into England until 1910
and coffee until 1862, beer or wine was
taken at all mea1s.-Fronl "Ihe En-
gld7ld OF Shakespeare. fs.sr faf,8s