🍞The diet of medieval monks mostly revolved around coarse bread, which was a staple food item.
🌱Monks cultivated herb gardens to use for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
🐟Fish was a rare delicacy for medieval monks and was mainly consumed on feast days.
🍲Pottages, a type of soup/stew, were a common and versatile dish in the medieval period.
🍺Monks were known for their brewing skills, producing beer as a self-sufficient and safer alternative to water.
What did medieval monks eat?
—Their diet mainly consisted of coarse bread, vegetables, herbs, and occasional fish.
Did monks drink alcohol?
—Yes, monks brewed and consumed beer as a safer alternative to water in a time when hygiene standards were lower.
How often did monks eat meat?
—Meat was forbidden for most monks, except for the sick. They followed a mostly vegetarian diet.
What is a pottage?
—A pottage is a type of soup/stew made by throwing various ingredients, such as vegetables and grains, into a pot and heating it.
Why did medieval monks brew beer?
—Monks brewed beer as a self-sufficient beverage that was cleaner and safer to drink than water.
00:00The video explores the dietary habits and traditions of medieval monks living a self-sufficient lifestyle.
00:17Medieval Cistercian monks aimed to be self-sufficient through agriculture and brewing ale.
01:14Monks followed a diet of coarse bread, vegetables, herbs, and rare delicacies like fish and eggs.
02:13Pottages were a common dish consisting of various ingredients thrown into a pot and heated.
03:33Fish was mainly consumed on feast days and during lent, which was a period of abstinence from meat.
05:25Monks became known for their brewing skills, producing beer as a safer alternative to water.
06:54The video concludes by highlighting the challenges of living like a medieval monk.
