Tudor vegetables included cabbages, onions, cauliflower, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, spinach and turnips. Early carrots were not orange. They were yellow or yellow. The Tudors ate the leaves of beetroot plants rather than the roots. Brussels sprouts were grown in Europe in the 16th century but they were rare in England.

Common Tudor fruits were apples, strawberries, pears, plums, blackberries, melons, raspberries and lemons. Gooseberries were used as a medicine. The rich could afford exotic and very expensive fruits such as pomegranates, peaches, oranges and walnuts.

On certain days by law people had to eat fish instead of meat. At first this was for religious reasons but later in the 16th century it was to support the fishing industry. If you lived near the sea or a river you could eat fresh fish like herrings or mackerel. Otherwise you might have to rely on dried or salted fish.

Poor people lived on plain food. In the morning they had bread and cheese and onions. They only had one cooked meal a day. They mixed grain with water and added vegetables and (if they could afford it) strips of meat.

Bread was an important food for rich and poor in Tudor Times but it varied in quality. Rich peoples bread was made from fine white flour. Poor people ate coarse bread of barley or rye.

In the 16th century many people thought fresh fruit was bad for you. They did eat fruit but usually after it was cooked and made into a tart or pie.

The Tudors were also fond of sweet foods (if they could afford them). However in the 16th century sugar was very expensive so most people used honey to sweeten their food.

Rich Tudors ate preserved fruit, gingerbread, sugared almonds and jelly.

Marzipan was introduced into England in the late Middle Ages. It is a paste made of almonds and sugar. The Tudors used marzipan to make edible sculptures of animals, castles, trees and people called subtleties.

The Tudors also ate simnel cakes. (Simnel was originally the name of a fine flour).

At Christmas the Tudors enjoyed mince pies, but they had far more significance than today in that they had 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and the apostles, they contained fruit (raisins, currants, prunes) and spices (cloves, mace, black pepper, saffron) and also mutton to represent the shepherds. The fashion was for them to be shaped like a crib.

The Tudors also had Christmas pudding but this was shaped like a sausage and contained meat, oatmeal and spices. Twelfth Night cake was fruitcake baked with an item in like a coin or dried bean, whoever found it became King or Queen or host for the evenings entertainment.

Another dessert, syllabub was invented in the 16th century. Moreover Banbury cakes were first mentioned in 1586.

Butcher Row in Salisbury where meat was sold

In the 16th century new types of food were introduced from the Americas. Turkeys were introduced into England about 1525. Potatoes were brought to England in the 1580s but at first few English people ate them. Tomatoes were introduced from Mexico.

Meanwhile a new vegetable from western Asia reached England in the 16th century. It was called cauliflower.

Rich people liked to show off their gold and silver plate. The middle classes would have dishes and bowls made of pewter. The poor made do with wooden plates and bowls. There were no forks in Tudor times. People ate with knives and their fingers or with spoons. Rich Tudors had silver or pewter spoons. The poor used wooden ones.

People in Tudor times made much of their own food. A farmers wife cured bacon and salted meat to preserve it. She baked bread and brewed beer. She also made pickles and conserves and preserved vegetables. Many prosperous farms kept bees for honey.

Tudor Drink

In the 16th century it was not safe to drink water so for ordinary people drinking ale or beer was essential. Young children drank milk but only the poorest people drank water.

Ale was still the main drink of ordinary people in the early 16th century but beer gradually became more common and by the end of the century it had replaced ale.

Tudor housewives were expected to brew their own beer although it was also sold commercially. In the 16th century beer was not just a drink it was also a food. It contained valuable nutrients.

Cider and perry were common in certain parts of England in the 16th century. However in the 17th century cider making reached a peak.

Wine was still the drink of the wealthy as it had to be imported. Wine was still imported from France and Germany but an increasing amount was imported from Spain and Portugal. Sweet wine was still imported from the Eastern Mediterranean. In the 16th century wine was often flavoured with spices.

In 16th century England sherry, which was known as sack was also a popular drink. The origins of brandy are obscure but it was a popular drink by the 16th century.

At Tudor feasts people did NOT throw bones on the floor for the dogs! In reality you put bones in a dish called a voiding dish and it was very bad manners to allow a dog into a room when you were eating.

A History of Food

Tudor Children

Tudor Clothes

Rich and Poor Tudors

Tudor Homes

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