What do medieval cooks do?

Answer 1

they cooked food and seasoned it with spices to cover the spoiled smell that the meat gave off

A rebuttal answer: Its a common myth that medieval food was half spoiled and the spices were to mask the flavor. It is simply not true. Medieval food was no more spoiled than the food of the Romans, or for that matter Colonial America, which had essentially the same food preservation technologies. Meat and fish were either used directly after slaughter or preserved by a variety of techniques, including drying, smoking, salting, curing, brining, etc. Considering Europeans before and after the middle ages were wise enough to not blindly eat spoiled meat, it is a reasonable assumption that medieval Europeans had the same sense and skills.

Its another common myth that medieval food was very bland. While spices that had to be imported, such as pepper, ginger, cinnamon, etc, were quite expensive, there were many ways that even the poorest peasant could use to flavor their food. Onions, garlic, and leeks were grown in gardens and used extensively. There was also a wide range of herbs that were either cultivated or gathered. Mustard sauces and vinegar were common condiments, as was verjuice (a concoction of the juice of unripe grapes, sometimes with the addition of citrus, herbs, or spices.)

When the profession cook appears on a medieval tax document or tenants agreement, it does not mean someone who is a household cook. Such a person would likely simply be considered a servant. Cooks were a profession who made hot, ready to eat food in a shop and sold it to the general public. They did not make bread, this was the job of the baker. Pies and pasties were the most common sort of foods that appeared in these shops, but roast meats, pottages of beans, fowl cased in pastry, wafers, and other foods appeared in various types of cook shops in the towns and cities of medieval Europe. These foods were typically consumed by the middle and even lower classes, much in the same way that hot food from the supermarket deli is consumed today, as an labor saving supplement or for those who lacked full kitchen facilities. Only upper class houses had kitchens in the middle ages. The construction of ovens was expensive, as was the extra fuel cost. While the rich could afford this, and the servant to cook meals for them, the middle and lower classes were cooking at a hearth or fireplace, or in some extreme cases lacked any cooking facilities at all. In the latter case an individual would be getting by on ready to eat foods such as bread, cheese, butter, fruit, and the occasional hot purchase from the cook shops.

The most wealthy might be able to hire a formally trained cook instead of a general household servant to cook for them, but considering that this type of cook could make a professional income and legally run their own business under the guild system this would be an expensive option compared to simply employing a household servant.

Answer 2

Nobody ever wrote a job description for any role in medieval Europe - that idea is entirely a modern one. Cooks, like everyone else, did exactly what they were told to do by whoever was in charge of them and could not complain about it not being in their job description.

In a monastery, the brother Kitchener was in charge of the food prepared every day and monks took turns to act as cook, or perhaps an individual monk was appointed as permanent cook. He did what he was told.

Similarly, the cook in a manor complex was under the control of the chamberlain or steward, who would pass on instructions from the nobleman.

In a royal court, the cook had servants working for him so he had administrative duties as well as culinary ones.

Under king Henry I of England, the royal cooks lived in the king' household and received 1.5 silver pennies per day; they had charge of ushers (including one whose job was to turn the roasting meat on a spit), a keeper of vessels, a scullion (general cleaner and dogsbody), a carter, a butcher and other servants.

Answer 3

they cooked food and seasoned it with spices to cover the spoiled smell that the meat gave off

A rebuttal answer: Its a common myth that medieval food was half spoiled and the spices were to mask the flavor. It is simply not true. Medieval food was no more spoiled than the food of the Romans, or for that matter Colonial America, which had essentially the same food preservation technologies. Meat and fish were either used directly after slaughter or preserved by a variety of techniques, including drying, smoking, salting, curing, brining, etc. Considering Europeans before and after the middle ages were wise enough to not blindly eat spoiled meat, it is a reasonable assumption that medieval Europeans had the same sense and skills.

Its another common myth that medieval food was very bland. While spices that had to be imported, such as pepper, ginger, cinnamon, etc, were quite expensive, there were many ways that even the poorest peasant could use to flavor their food. Onions, garlic, and leeks were grown in gardens and used extensively. There was also a wide range of herbs that were either cultivated or gathered. Mustard sauces and vinegar were common condiments, as was verjuice (a concoction of the juice of unripe grapes, sometimes with the addition of citrus, herbs, or spices.)

When the profession cook appears on a medieval tax document or tenants agreement, it does not mean someone who is a household cook. Such a person would likely simply be considered a servant. Cooks were a profession who made hot, ready to eat food in a shop and sold it to the general public. They did not make bread, this was the job of the baker. Pies and pasties were the most common sort of foods that appeared in these shops, but roast meats, pottages of beans, fowl cased in pastry, wafers, and other foods appeared in various types of cook shops in the towns and cities of medieval Europe. These foods were typically consumed by the middle and even lower classes, much in the same way that hot food from the supermarket deli is consumed today, as an labor saving supplement or for those who lacked full kitchen facilities. Only upper class houses had kitchens in the middle ages. The construction of ovens was expensive, as was the extra fuel cost. While the rich could afford this, and the servant to cook meals for them, the middle and lower classes were cooking at a hearth or fireplace, or in some extreme cases lacked any cooking facilities at all. In the latter case an individual would be getting by on ready to eat foods such as bread, cheese, butter, fruit, and the occasional hot purchase from the cook shops.

The most wealthy might be able to hire a formally trained cook instead of a general household servant to cook for them, but considering that this type of cook could make a professional income and legally run their own business under the guild system this would be an expensive option compared to simply employing a household servant.

Answer 4

not good