| Food history has always interested me. We can | | | | Jorvik, now called York in Great Britain, |
| learn a lot about our present eating habits | | | | finds of both wild and domestic meats were |
| from what our ancestors ate. I've read up on | | | | found. Among those were venison, beef, mutton |
| the subject and I've even hosted a few | | | | lamb, goat, pork, chicken, goose, duck, |
| parties serving period foods. Today we'll | | | | grouse, and wood pigeon. The Vikings |
| talk about the Vikings. With the help of our | | | | cultivated grains such as barley, wheat, rye, |
| friends the archaeologists, food finds have | | | | and barley. They grew vegetables and fruit |
| been made. The Scandinavian people of the 8th | | | | like carrots, parsnips, turnips, celery, |
| through 11th centuries were not as limited in | | | | plums, apples, raspberries, elderberries, and |
| terms of their diet as some might think. They | | | | much much more. To top that off, they were |
| were masters of the sea and ate everything | | | | not opposed to using spices and herbs other |
| from oysters to whales. They were much more | | | | than salt for a little extra flavor.Honey was |
| than just avid anglers feasting on a variety | | | | the big sweetener in the Middle Ages. The |
| of fresh and saltwater fish. They were | | | | Vikings used a lot of it to make mead. |
| farmers as well. In the Danish settlement of | | | | |