The Science Behind A Renaissance Feast | Absolute History

During the fourteenth century the Renaissance started in Italy, and slowly spread throughout Europe. As shown in this episode, the refreshing Renaissance era indicates an intellectual, philosophical, artistic and religious revolution and is mainly influenced by humanism. The objective of this movement to improve humanity also had its effect on the kitchen and dinner table. Strict table manners and consumption of imported vegetables are examples of the many culinary changes discussed in the episode.

[Godisgreater]

this video has really blown me away..it explains why my almost 89 year old dad, born and raised in Northern Italy, always cooks each night with such care..he follows intricate recipes and is the best chef that I know...it's in his genes!

[SpectatorAlius]

Since it is the Medicis who introduced the idea, I can't help but wonder if the real reason for having guests eat off of separate plates was to make it easier to poison only one victim at a time!

[heronimousbrapson]

22:50: the greater world was slowly being seen as round. The earth was, in fact, known to be round since the time of the ancient Greeks.

[kck]

Thank you for uploading this, but I do have a couple of criticisms: the first is how the narrator mentions that the "Renaissance" (really the Late Medieval period to professional historians) "civilized" eating habits. Right up there with Victorian women dying from corsets is the myth that earlier medieval people ate like pigs -- not true. They were expected to follow etiquette such as washing their hands before meals, not burping at the table or speaking with food in their mouths, and using utensils (yes, some food WAS eaten with the hands, but spoons and knives were in use). Re the fork: my understanding is that the fork was really used more for holding the food in place while cutting it, and not so much for bringing the food to the mouth (these two pronged forks were sharp).

[DexterBachman]

Fucina is the Italian word for a forge. Italian for the eating utensil called in English a fork is a forchetta which has a similar pronunciation which is close to for-keht-tah

[samurai]

I wish to remind to the young and nice french historian that Martino de Rossi o Martino de Rubeis (latin for red), was born in Como Italy in 1420. His book: De arte coquinaria was written not in latin but in italian (volgare).

[Nicciolai]

23:00 No wonder the Sunday roast has been such an important part of European culture! Being of an age when I can eat what I like when I like, I can't imagine not being able to eat a food because it 'belonged' to a wealthy class.

[kck]

Also, another myth: that earlier Medieval people didn't eat vegetables. This is nonsense, probably springing from the lack of vegetables mentioned in earlier Medieval recipes. But this is likely because it was taken for granted that you'd have vegetables growing and didn't need to mention throwing them in the pot (with so many days being fast days, and the scarcity of fresh meat for most people, Medieval people's diets were actually mostly vegetables and fish -- what do the people who wrote this think Medieval people put in their pottage if not veggies?

[johnnunya]

20:03 "Initially pasta was made from corn flour." 2 minutes later: Then corn was discovered in Americas.
 
Holup

[MrTomtomtest]

"He dreamnt of discovering a new world"
What ?? Columbus was going for India he never "dreamnt of discovering a new world"

[Rachel-yrch]

So glad they didnt just put the translations in text, they had someone speak it. I listen to these at work and I cant stop to read the translations

[wendyjones]

Foods that came from the new world: Potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate, vanilla, corn, pecans, peanuts, yams/sweet potatoes, pinto beans, turkey, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, bell peppers, sunflower seeds, artichoke, blueberries, cranberries, etc. I can't imagine life without any of these wonderful things!

[rosellaaalm-ahearn]

Re: Americo Vespucci - So delighted that whomever named them, named the Americas, after Vespucci's first name rather than his last name.

[reikoviolin]

14:45 who else enjoyed the angry Italian chef scene

[ZiggyWhiskerz]

"fowl... Is still considered a noble dish"
Me, a pleb, eating chicken almost everyday.... "Wat?"

[gailhandschuh]

Dairy and vegetables were relatively cheap to grow and preserve for winter meals. Some meats were smoked, salted or dried for winter meals. Pottage was an old staple but could be more flavorful when vegetables were added, which also added nutritional value to the bland pottage. It’s a bit surprising that chicken took so long to catch on. They are cheap to raise and only lay eggs for a few years and can be replaced with new chicks all year round. Pasta and bread are labor intensive yet the pasta can be dried in a dry place and will remain good for months.

[orchardlea]

About halfway through this programme, I realised that watching this programme on a day of fasting was probably not the brightest idea... :/

[Scriptorsilentum]

the actors costumes are splendid... and amazingly clean, no sign of wear. Cute.

[mlast]

Is no one going to comment on the three star chef tasting his saffron risotto and then just..tapping what was left on the spoon back into the pot? (46:04-46:07)

[Tina]

Sitting here, having eaten bread, cheese, meat and oats today, and wishing there were an Italian chef with a few novel fruit and vegetable dishes to set before me. (I am lazy, have no talent in cooking, and my palate is jaded.)
Mais Bravo! Bravo pour Le Bon Roi Henri IV!