A quick guide to dining in these current Middle Ages
Master Katryne MacIntosh the Strange, OP
The Society for Creative Anachronism offers so many different paths into learning about the time period before 1600 - so many cultures, so many places to search, so many ideas. There are a lot of differences between these different places and times, but one thing that connects them all - everyone ate.
When we encounter food in the SCA, it usually comes to us in one of three ways - provided by the event (feasts and other meals), provided by ourselves (picnics), and provided by individuals in the SCA (sideboards). How you create and enjoy your feast kit and dining experiences is up to you - but you can make it more enjoyable by being prepared for what’s to come.
Feasts
A feast is, in general, a lunchtime or evening meal where event attendees sit down and enjoy a meal together. While there are sometimes feasts where the serviceware and dinnerware are provided, this is generally rare, and the people who come to dine are expected to bring their own feast kits.
The hope for these kits is to not only alleviate additional event cost of renting or purchasing dishes upon which to dine, but to also increase the ambiance of an event for all involved. These are some of the items you may wish to carry in your feast kit:
Silverware (fork, knife, spoon, etc)
Plate or platter
Bowl
Cup or chalice
Spices of choice (salt and pepper, etc.)
Candles and candleholders
Serviceware (large spoons, tongs, etc.)
Napkins
Tablecloth
At the bare minimum, a plate or platter is a starting point for those who wish to dine, as you must have something to eat from. Some people in persona may choose to forgo some items - for instance, a person with a southern Indian persona may choose to bring a banana leaf, and to eat with the fingers of their right hand from piles of food placed on the leaf. What you choose to include will depend on how much you want to emulate a person in your chosen timeframe and culture, and how comfortable you want to be while dining.
The items you choose reflect these ideals, if you wish them to. The standard set I suggest for people is to select a bowl and a platter of wood, bamboo, pewter or brass, or materials that look to be of this nature, along with mundane metal fork-knife-spoon sets or chopsticks and ceramic spoons. I also suggest a simple drinking vessel. Tankards are popular, as are metal or wooden chalices, but glass was also a period material, and sometimes just having an unmarked coffee cup will do. A scrap of fabric or a folded decorative paper towel or napkin will do just fine for a start. The other items can be filled in by the folks you are dining with, usually.
Think about what you would use at the table. Soups and pottages are common, so having a bowl is essential. Some folks bring an extra bowl to place out their bones or the food they don’t eat from a course so it can be discarded later. Do you know how to use chopsticks? They may make it easier to pick up items that are saucy or messy. Make sure you have what you need to feel comfortable eating in a family setting.
Most feasts in Gleann Abhann are served family-style, where either the person nearest the platter delivered to the table takes plates from others and puts the portion on, or the platter is passed from person to person. Some peer households choose to serve individuals at their table by order of precedence, though this has become less common here. In my household, we make sure guests and those who have less precedence are fed before our peers eat.
You’ll want a vessel to keep your dining gear in. Some choose wooden boxes, which can be heavy but which tend to be sturdier over time. Baskets are possible - but when choosing a basket, consider how much weight will be held in that basket. Many commercial picnic baskets are made just to hold the original lightweight contents and aren’t prepared to carry ceramic or metal dishes, and Easter baskets tend to have very flimsy handles. I’ve also seen fabric bags constructed for the purpose, and as long as you’re making allowances to protect anything ceramic or glass within, they tend to be pretty handy.
Other items you might want to consider bringing with you to feast:
Extra napkins or paper towels for cleanup
Ziptop bags or aluminum foil to take leftovers home (leftover food from platters must be discarded and not reused for future meals once they have been taken to a table, per health code)
Plastic bags to take your feast gear home in, especially if there is no place to clean them
Any sauces or spices that will make your personal feast experience better
Picnicking in the SCA
Sometimes, you may attend an event that doesn’t have a scheduled meal. Fighter practices, arts and science days and other daytrip events may be times when you need to have food on hand for yourself and your household. While yes, you can just bring a cooler and your canned beverages and plastic wrappers, upping your game with medieval-inspired foods helps encourage the keeping of atmosphere.
When planning these picnics, it’s important to consider a few key things.
Safe temperatures. If you are bringing dishes that cannot be kept out for long, you should consider some sort of cooler or accommodation. I like to keep the atmosphere by utilizing frozen cooler-intended blocks around any items in my basket that might need refrigeration - particularly anything involving eggs, cream, or meat. These can be concealed under a tablecloth over the top if you are concerned about appearances.
Dining themes. Bringing your cheeseburgers and candy bars isn’t quite what most medieval folks would have considered to be normal, though, as has been said many times, “you do you.” But there are plenty of ways to dine that evoke the atmosphere of the past without breaking the atmosphere.
The Ploughman’s Share. Popular in pubs in Western Europe and the U.K., this is just a hunk of some sort of bread, a chunk of meat of some sort, and a portion of cheese. You can achieve this for the kids with a slim sausage, a cheese stick, and a bread stick in a pouch and they will usually relish this idea. For adults, having a cutting board with a selected cheese, a sausage or chunk of roast beef, and a French loaf does quite nicely. Remember any condiments, such as mustard or butter, to make this more pleasant, and consider adding some more cheese.
The Italian. While tomatoes are an extremely late-period item, there are plenty of ways you can enjoy cold dining in the Italian fashion. Today, you can even pick up pre-made charcuterie boards that will get you a good portion of the way there. A selection of Italian cheese such as provolone or mozzarella, slices of prosciutto and pastrami, a handful of olives and pickled peppers, some focaccia or Italian bread, and a bottle of grape juice or wine, and you’re definitely a grade above peasant class. Grapes and lemons make an excellent addition in this theme.
The Northern European. Germanic culture has changed over time, but has long featured sausages! Select a couple of your favorite German sausages and some hard cheeses for slicing, brown breads and crackers to go with them, mustards and ale (or root beer for dry sites) and you have the beginnings of a great German-inspired meal.
These are just a few examples. You might consider going French and offering French loaves with butter, sliced radishes, mushroom handpies, and a roasted chicken from the local deli alongside apples and soft cheeses. Or dive into a platter of Ottoman-inspired fare with olives, dates, apricots, flatbreads, hummus, and nuts. With a little preplanning, you can even make the cheapest of dishes into a personal feast - for instance, a thermos of boiling hot water in the morning will still be enough to use for ramen at lunchtime, which can be served alongside onigiri (Japanese-style sushi predecessor where bonito flakes or another filling are wrapped inside sushi vinegar-soaked rice and seaweed), a couple of boiled eggs soaked in soy sauce, and cold wonton-wrapped spring rolls.
You’ll want to make sure you have anything you’ll need to serve on or with - plates, a cutting board and knife for cheeses or meats, vessels to drink from - but you can truly make yourself a great meal to enjoy without breaking the ambiance of an event.
Sideboarding
From time to time, you might attend an event where it’ll look like everyone is snacking, and that truly is the case. Particularly at Crown Lists and sometimes just at any event, there will be people who will create a sideboard of dishes that will be available over the course of a morning, afternoon, or even all day. These can also be sighted at vigils for soon-to-be-peers, a small, light buffet of hospitality for those who have come to speak with the vigilante. There are some protocols to this, but whether you’re the one setting one up or one enjoying the setout, sideboards are just a cool thing.
A sideboard by necessity is generally a selection of dishes that can be grazed upon. Shelf-stable items such as breads, fruit, cuts of easy to eat vegetables, and easy to use condiments are standard. These items should be safe to eat at the temperature of the day - if indoors, room temperature is fine, but for days when the temperatures exceed 80F outside, attention should be paid attention to how long these items are out.
Simple finger fare is not all that can be considered here. For instance, roasts of beef or entire roasted chickens can be showstoppers on the sideboard, showing the extravagance of the household that has set one up. Cheese plates, liquid refreshments, and even desserts are common. For these occasions, disposable gear is usually available, but you should always bring your own cup.
I recently worked with my partner to set up a sideboard at a small local event, to share with the populace a taste of what our household was offering that day. In addition to the individually sliced cheeses, sliced breads, cream cheese, grapes, crackers, and small cakes, we featured items he smoked on our grill, particularly two large capon and two acorn squash. We found that people were not as accustomed to the protocol of coming to ask about the spread, and individually invited people to come taste what he had smoked and what we were glad to provide in a spread for all to sample throughout the afternoon.
A good rule of thumb with any sideboard is to ask first. In most cases, you’ll find the generous nature of the SCA in full evidence and be invited to dine. But in a few cases, there may be reasons this particular buffet is limited. Asking first ensures no faux pas has happened.
If you choose to create a sideboard yourself, be sure to ask before you set up. Sometimes halls can be crowded or tables limited. Working with the event staff can ensure you manage to create something that enhances your experience and the experience of others in the SCA.
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If you have any questions about feasting, being fed or feeding others in the SCA, please feel free to reach out to me at tiedyetravels@gmail.com.
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