Heart Healthier Than Today
While modern medicine was still hundreds of years away, so was the introduction of highly processed foods. That meant that by accident or not, the medieval diet was actually a lot more heart healthy than the average diet today. It’s mainly because they did not consume refined sugar like we do, and daily labor meant they were exercising plenty.
Edible “Warning” Sculptures
So what was a glorious medieval feast like? Well, before the meal, guests would be treated to edible sculptures made out of sugar and marzipan. They were called “warners” as they would signal that the meal was about to begin. These displays, called “subtleties,” were quite entertaining and would be in the shape of exotic birds and animals, coats of arms, and even people. They would sometimes be accompanies by a song, play, or poem.