History of Medieval Europe: An In-depth Interpretation of the Influence of English Food Culture and the Concept of Health
Professionalize your business.
Changes in eating Xi have led to the development of professional traders. As people's meat consumption increases, so does the number of butchers. Archaeological evidence suggests that between 1290 and 1440 there were around 400 butchers around London, most of whom lived near the city.
By the end of the 16th century, the butchers of London and their apprentices had spread all over the country, as far as the Scottish borders. The pig industry has also changed;In the early Middle Ages, pig farming was simpler than cattle and sheep farming, as pigs were raised freely in wooded mountains and did not require systematic management, but as the demand for pork increased, city dwellers began to raise pigs in their gardens.
As the Thames was an important part of London's fish products, the fish became more specialized, and by the end of the 11th century, there were several fishing grounds on the Thames, but as the demand for fish from the urban population grew, the variety of fish in the Thames could not meet the needs of the population, so London fishermen wholesaled fish products from the port of Yarmouth. With the development of fish**, in the 14th and 20th centuries, wealthy Londoners soon had access to more varieties of fresh fish.
As more and more people migrate from rural to urban areas to engage in non-agricultural occupations, the growing nutritional needs of urban residents and changes in dietary structure have contributed to the development of cities. The occupational division of labour in towns is becoming more pronounced, with tailors, butchers, blacksmiths, leather workers, cooks, stonemasons, shoemakers, bakers, winemakers, fish and poultry traders, and other non-agricultural occupations in the majority in every town. In the late Middle Ages, there were at least a dozen non-agricultural occupations in small English towns, dozens in medium-sized towns, hundreds in large towns, and 200 in the largest city, London. The development of urban specialization has accelerated the expansion of the original scale of towns, and also turned some villages into towns and increased the number of towns. The development of the city has provided better material conditions for the residents, and the people's living standards are getting higher and higher.
British influence on food culture.
Braudel once said"At the dinner table, both sides of the conflict are clearly visible: luxury and poverty, surplus and want"。Changes in the consumption of food and drink among the English urban population in the 1414th century had a significant impact on English food culture, especially in the development of health concepts, the increase in culinary specialization, and the advancement of etiquette.
Develop the concept of health.
In the Middle Ages, the concept of health was developed in medicine, which was first influenced by the medical theories of ancient Greece and Rome, and then applied Arabic medical knowledge and theories. The most influential medical theories were those of ancient Greek medicine, Hippocrates and Galen. Hippocrates' theory of the four humors holds that the health of the human body depends on the balance of blood, mucus, yellow bile, and black bile, and that the balance of the four humors should be organically linked to diet and exercise, and the principle of moderation should be applied.
Hippocrates'"Four bodily fluids"The doctrine is a holistic medical concept that emphasizes both the physical condition of the individual and the impact of the living environment on the individual, and states that people's diet should be adapted to the climate and seasons, for example, in winter, it is advisable to eat hot and dry food;Galen's medical theory attaches great importance to health, and in the "Treatise on Health", Galen says:"Medicine is divided into two parts: one is ** and the other is prevention:"Medicine is divided into two parts: the first part is to maintain health, and the second part is to restore health. The second part is to restore health"。
According to Galen, health is divided into physiological health and structural health. Health is the element of the human body to maintain balance and harmonize with the functioning of nature, and the basis for maintaining health is adequate energy, nutrition, sleep and activity, in which the type, intake and timing of the diet are very important to maintain health. Galen based on the Hippocratic doctrine of the four humors, combined with the famous"Constitution Doctrine"The concept proposes that everything in the world has four elemental senses: air, earth, water, fire, dampness, and cold, and has four attributes: sense, dampness, cold, and heat"Constitution Doctrine"。The reason why there is a difference in the structure of people is because of the different combinations of attributes. There are nine types of human body structure, and people should choose their food according to their structure.
Arabic Islamic medicine also emphasizes health, believing that health is a gift from Allah and must be cared for. Arab-Islamic medicine believes that to maintain health is to maintain a balance of water and calories in the body, and this balance requires the right combination of various factors, good dietary Xi and moderate diet are essential, and excessive indulgence is unacceptable, especially alcohol consumption. A good diet Xi habits and moderation are essential and should not be too much or too little, especially with alcohol consumption. In addition, Islamic-Arab medicine also recognizes the importance of a variety of foods for maintaining human health, long-term consumption of a single food can lead to malnutrition, and people need to pay attention to the proper combination of grains, meats, fruits, vegetables and condiments in their daily lives. In addition to inheriting the above-mentioned medical theories, the concept of health in medieval England was also influenced by the concept of health in the first religion. Religion holds that the health of the soul is more important than the health of the body, and that health can only be attained by following God. Indulgence is one of the main causes of disease, so people have to control their desires.
Modern nutritional science believes that fresh vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet and provide essential vitamins A and C. However, in the early Middle Ages' understanding of nutrition, vegetables and fruits were considered cold foods that were difficult to digest and should not be consumed regularly in the diet. It is said that eating a peach in the morning will rot in the stomach, and the king of England will die after eating a peach in the morning. Studies have shown that the daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables for the wealthy is much lower than modern nutritional science**, and many upper-class members suffer from scurvy due to inadequate intake of vitamins A and C. In England in the 14th century, the income of urban residents increased, the standard of living improved, most people no longer had to worry about food and clothing, and people's dietary Xi habits changed from eating well to eating well, and more and more people had a healthy concept, which led to an increase in the consumption of vegetables and fruits among urban residents.
Salerno** originated in the 13th century in memory of the English King Robert who was wounded in the Crusades, and Duke Robert was under the guidance of Dr. Salerno**, who summed up Salerno ** based on the experience of the Duke of Robert. Salerno**"Including diet, exercise, sleep, mood and other aspects. "Diet"The content is very broad, including cooking methods, food pairings, food choices for different seasons, and food intake. Salerno** became one of the most popular health books of the Middle Ages when it reached England.
The concept of health and fitness was first popular among the upper classes, and many fitness programs were developed for them in the early days. However, with the development of the economy and the improvement of the living standards of urban residents, especially after the Black Death, people's health awareness has changed rapidly, and fitness awareness has gradually spread from the upper class to the middle and lower classes. A comprehensive analysis of the food**, food types and healthy eating beliefs in the diets of urban dwellers shows that there was a marked improvement in the diets of urban dwellers in England in the 14th century compared to the pre-medieval period.