Claire Thompson
In the Middle Ages, eating chicken was considered a luxury, and chickens looked very different from the ones we see today. A plucked chicken was a live chicken that was plucked and glazed to give it the appearance of having been roasted. It was then served on a table, and when the chicken fell asleep, it would run off, leaving chaos in its wake. This was a spectacle intended to amuse guests at dinner parties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chicken size | Half the size of Roman chickens |
| Skin colour | Not the common yellow skin colour of today's chickens |
| Chicken meat | A luxury, not widely consumed |
| Chicken eggs | Consumed widely, smaller than today's eggs |
| Chicken as entertainment | Plucked alive and cooked to appear roasted, then served asleep on the table |
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What You'll Learn
Chickens were expensive
The fall of the Roman Empire, which had large-scale chicken farms, also contributed to the decrease in chicken consumption. Without the selective breeding practices employed by the Romans, chickens lost their domesticated traits and reverted to their wild ancestors, the red jungle peafowl. These half-wild chickens were smaller, produced less meat and eggs, and were more susceptible to predators.
Additionally, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches influenced eating habits during the Middle Ages, with meat consumption forbidden for about a third of the year for most Christians. This included abstaining from all animal products during Lent and other fasting periods.
The concept of luxury and status also played a role in the expense of chickens. In the Late Middle Ages, as the middle class became wealthier, they began emulating the aristocracy, threatening to blur the lines between the nobility and the lower classes. Sumptuary laws were enacted to curb the extravagance of commoners' banquets, and literature warned against adopting a diet unfit for one's social standing. Chicken, being a light meat, was considered more prestigious and expensive than the staple cereals, barley, oats, and rye consumed by the general population.
Furthermore, chickens were free-range and required little human intervention beyond a henhouse for protection from predators. They foraged for their food, eating spilled grain and insects, and their eggs were smaller than those of modern chickens. All these factors contributed to the high cost of chicken during the Middle Ages, making it a luxury to have "a chicken in every pot on Sunday".
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They were half the size
Chickens were domesticated around 8,000 years ago in India, descended from the red junglefowl. They were then bred in large numbers for meat and eggs in the Indus Valley Civilization. After spreading to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, they became a staple in the diets of the Greeks and Romans. However, after the fall of Rome, chickens lost their domesticated traits in medieval Europe due to a lack of selective breeding, resulting in a decline in their popularity.
During the Middle Ages, chickens in Europe were half the size they had been during Roman times, resembling their wild ancestors, the red junglefowl. They were half-wild, susceptible to predators, produced fewer eggs, and yielded less meat. As a result, other birds like swans, geese, and pigeons took their place in kitchens, larders, and feasts, as depicted in paintings from that era.
The reduction in size and desirability of chickens in medieval Europe can be attributed to the loss of domesticated traits. Without human intervention in their breeding, chickens reverted to their wild form. This process can occur rapidly, as domesticated traits are often detrimental to survival in the wild. For example, the loss of aggression may be desirable in domestic animals but becomes a liability when facing wild predators.
Chickens in medieval Europe were allowed to roam free, foraging for spilled grain and insects. They were kept primarily for pest control, with little effort required beyond providing a henhouse for protection from predators like foxes. While chickens were a luxury food item during this period, eggs were consumed by everyone, including monks, who followed a vegetarian diet.
The smaller size of chickens in medieval Europe compared to their Roman counterparts highlights the impact of human influence on their breeding. Without selective breeding practices, chickens lost desirable traits and became less appealing as a food source. This led to their diminished status in medieval cuisine, with other meats like pork and beef taking precedence.
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They lost their domesticated traits
Chickens were originally domesticated around 8,000 years ago in India, and desirable traits were mostly in place by 5,000 years ago. They were then bred in large numbers for meat and eggs in the Indus Valley Civilization. From there, they spread to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, and they were a big part of the diet in Greek and Roman times. However, after the fall of Rome, there was a sharp decline in chicken consumption.
Analysis of chicken bones from archaeological sites in medieval Europe shows that chickens were about half the size they had been in Roman times, closer in stature to their wild ancestors, the red jungle peafowl. Chickens lost their domesticated features because no one was actively breeding them anymore. This loss of desirable traits happened quite rapidly, as domesticated traits are often unsuitable for survival in the wild, so animals that lose these traits tend to leave behind more progeny.
Chickens in medieval Europe were half-wild, easy prey for predators, and did not lay many eggs or produce much meat. They did not survive European winters well, and other native birds like swans, geese, and pigeons took over the role that chickens once served. Chickens were still kept for their ability to control insects, and they wandered freely around medieval farmyards, eating spilled grain and insects. However, they were not a popular food source, and chicken remained a luxury item until the voyages of exploration, when the Portuguese brought back domesticated chicken breeds from India, which quickly spread across Europe and replaced all other poultry as the primary domesticated fowl.
In the Middle Ages, cock ale was a popular beverage made by crushing a boiled cock with raisins, nutmeg, mace, and dates, steeping the mixture in ale, and then bottling it. Chicken was also used in medieval dinner parties in a cruel spectacle: a chicken was plucked alive in boiling water and glazed to appear roasted. When the chicken fell asleep, it was brought out onto the table, and as it warmed up, it would run off down the table, causing chaos.
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Chicken was considered a luxury
Chickens were originally domesticated in India around 8,000 years ago and spread to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. They were a popular part of the diet in Greek and Roman times, with the Romans having large chicken farms and producing them on a massive scale. However, after the fall of Rome, there was a decline in chicken consumption.
During the Middle Ages, chickens lost their domesticated traits in Europe due to a lack of selective breeding. They became half-wild, susceptible to predators, and produced less meat and eggs. As a result, they were not as desirable for farming and consumption.
Despite this, chickens were still consumed by the upper classes, who considered them a luxury item. Medieval cuisine often involved elaborate preparations and presentations, such as serving live animals that appeared to be dead. One example is the "singing chicken," where a chicken's neck was tied with quicksilver and ground sulphur. When the bird was reheated, it made a sound like singing. Another example is the "plucked chicken," where a chicken was plucked alive in boiling water and glazed to look roasted. When the chicken fell asleep, it was served to the guests, only to wake up and run off the table, causing chaos.
In addition to the upper classes, monks also consumed chicken, but only when the hen was old and no longer laying eggs. Meat consumption was generally forbidden for a third of the year for most Christians, and all animal products were prohibited during Lent and other fasting periods. However, monks were allowed to eat chicken as it was not considered a four-footed animal according to the Benedictine Rule.
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They were plucked alive for dinner parties
In the Middle Ages, eating chicken was considered a luxury. However, this did not stop people from indulging in the meat during dinner parties, where the spectacle of the meal was just as important as the food itself. To entertain their guests, medieval chefs would serve live animals that appeared dead, only to come to life and run off the dining table. One such dish was the "singing chicken". This dish was prepared by tying the bird's neck with quicksilver and ground sulphur. When the bird was reheated, it would make a sound akin to singing.
Another spectacle involved plucking a chicken alive for dinner parties. The chicken would be plucked from boiling water and glazed, giving it the appearance of having been roasted. The chicken would then be brought to the table along with other dishes. As medieval chickens were half the size of modern chickens, they were small enough to be cooked and served whole.
Meals during the Middle Ages were highly influenced by medical science, which dictated what was considered healthy and nutritious. The four bodily humours theory proposed by Galen dominated Western medical science during this period. According to this theory, all foodstuffs were classified on a scale ranging from hot to cold and moist to dry. It was believed that filling the stomach in an appropriate manner was essential for the proper "cooking" of food and absorption of nutrients.
The increasing wealth of middle-class merchants and traders during the Late Middle Ages led to commoners emulating the aristocracy, threatening to blur the symbolic barriers between the nobility and lower classes. Sumptuary laws were enacted to curb the lavishness of commoners' banquets, and literature was circulated to warn against adapting a diet inappropriate for one's class. Despite these efforts, the desire to emulate the upper classes persisted, and chickens, being a luxury food item, would have been a coveted dish to serve at dinner parties.
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Frequently asked questions
A plucked chicken is a chicken that has had its feathers removed. In the Middle Ages, chickens were plucked and glazed to give them the appearance of having been roasted.
In the Middle Ages, eating chicken was considered a luxury. Chickens were plucked and cooked as a delicacy for the upper classes.
People in the Middle Ages had a custom of serving live animals that appeared to be dead. Chickens were plucked and cooked alive, and then brought out to the table when they fell asleep.
A meal in the Middle Ages would ideally begin with easily digestible fruit, followed by vegetables and light meats like chicken, and then "heavy" meats like pork and beef.
