By this time in history, white bread was common, but the whiter the bread, the more expensive it was. Bread was the main source of calories for the poor, but it was enjoyed by the wealthy as well. but both depended on two things: bread and wine. It was common to see venditore on foot, such as this ciambelle seller, who carried the crunchy but soft rounds of bread (they were a precursor to the bagel of today) on sticks in his basket.įood was a major differentiator between the nobility and the peasant classes. There were numerous markets and vendors that hawked all manner of meats, fish, vegetables, breads and pastries. Food was also medicine and the cook played a role alongside the doctor in medieval and Renaissance life.Ī wide variety of food was also available in most cities and towns. And food played a role at funerals, including at Easter when a big feast was held to celebrate the Resurrection. After a baby was born, friends and family brought the new mother food that was nourishing and sweet. Just as today, food was the cultural center of life across Renaissance Italy. is an Italian proverb that means, " At the table with good friends and family you do not become old." At the Heart of Italian LifeĪ tavola non si invecchia. Butter and oil also became popular to thicken sauces.Īnd, the advent of the printing press led to the quick development of cookbooks, which in turn, started to help spread the ideas of noble chefs across Europe. In the Renaissance, a new richness appeared and sugar became prevalent in most dishes-and counter to what we know today, because it was naturally sweet, it was considered "healthy" so the chefs of the time used it in everything. But, "it s vestiges still linger today in such popular lore as “feed a cold, starve a fever” and in descriptions of taste sensations, from hot peppers to dry martinis."īy the latter part of the Renaissnce, tastes had begun to shift from the cloying spices and acidic flavors of the Middle Ages (think sauces similar to the salad dressings of today, made with wine, bitter grape juice, or vinegar). Abiding by this diet was particularly prohibitive for nobility looking to show off their wealth through food and banquets. The humoral diet was exceedingly complex, however, and by the middle and end of the Renaissance this had fallen by the wayside. The late medieval period and early Renaissance was also deeply focused on the idea of balancing food against the individual temperament,hearkening back to the writings of the ancient physicians, Galen and Hippocrates. Sugar was introduced and spices were more prized than ever. Global trade routes were more firmly established and new foods were introduced from the New World. Lords no longer dined with their vassals, but instead developed noble courts. The shift between the Middle Ages and the RenaissanceĪs Italy came into the Renaissance period, everything about dining became more refined.
On this page, I'll take you on a mini culinary tour of everything Italian Renaissance food. In fact, the Renaissance is when the types of Italian food we know and love today start to become more familiar, with shaped and filled pastas, pies and pastries, and even desserts such as zabaglione. When you think of the Renaissance I'm guessing images of Michelangelo sculptures, or the sumptuous gowns worn by the likes of Lucrezia Borgia are more likely to come to mind than what foods might have been served during that era. I fell in love with this long gone person, and wanted to bring him to life for modern audiences, and share some of my knowledge about Italian Renaissance food, which is why I wrote THE CHEF'S SECRET. Besides the amazing food, within the pages I discovered the voice of Scappi, a man we know very little about, but the flavors and recipes are truly unforgettable-and many of them have stood the test of time, over 500 years. Of course, I had to get this cookbook! I wasn't disappointed. It's a cookbook that was published in 1570, contains over 1,000 recipes, and was a bestselling cookbook for almost 200 years after its publication. When I was researching my first novel, FEAST OF SORROW, I kept coming across a cookbook that was mentioned in a number of Italian culinary compendiums- L'Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi, or the "works" of Bartolomeo Scappi.
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