What Did King Richard Eat for Dinner?

One thing in particular that I am missing from England is the food. You might think that British food is bland, boring, and bad. Not so. I found it to be some of my most favourite ever and I am having a major problem with not being able to get any whenever I want.

What foods do I miss most?

Cream Tea at Coughton Court

Cream Teas: A good cream tea is composed of tea with milk and maybe sugar; a light, fluffy scone with or without currants; jam; and that elusive delicacy, clotted cream. Clotted cream, from Devonshire, is unlike anything we have here in the States. It is rich and creamy, highly spreadable, and full of calories. It is pure cream that has been solidified through a special process. I think you can find it in specialty stores, but I am still searching for it here in my city. Can you make it yourself? Yes, with time and patience and probably some sort of magic spell.

Put the jam on first and then the clotted cream. You will be in heaven with each bite.

John's Special English Breakfast--
just what I wanted!

English Breakfast: The best English Breakfast is composed of so many elements. You can have what I had--black pudding, bacon (not our thin, dainty bacon but real chunky bacon), egg, and toast--or you can add other things such as sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomato, baked beans (yes, beans for breakfast), sausages, or some sort of potato, such as hash browns.

I should say a word about black pudding. It is a type of sausage. You might not want to eat it if I tell you what is in it (pig's blood), but if you are a meat eater, you are eating animal blood anyway. This is just a good utilisation of all parts of the animals we eat. In the old days, farmers could not afford to waste any part of what could be food. It might be the line between starving or not. Black pudding is a little spicy and has a granular texture due to the suet (another animal product) and oatmeal. Give it a try. You might have found a new favourite food.

Chicken and Leek Meat Pie

And last, but certainly not least, Meat Pies: How can we think we have meat pies in the United States when all we have are pot pies? These are not the same at all.  The meat pies I am missing are full of big chunks of meat with flavourful  gravy (unless it is a pork pie), all surrounded by flaky crust. There can be vegetables inside, but they are not primary, unlike the pot pie. We can have shepherd's pie, with lamb and mashed potatoes on top, or cottage pie, the beef variation, but those little self-contained pastries full of meaty goodness are very hard to come by here.

I have found a place to special order them. The main problems are that they are a bit expensive and frozen. I think are turning out quite well in my taste experiments, however, if cooked properly. I have yet to decide on a favourite, although Steak and Mushroom is definitely in the running. I can't really get any fish pies from this place, so I will have to keep searching for that yummy dish.

What, may you ask, does all of this have to do with King Richard???

Last year, the British Geological Survey put out a study in association with researchers at the University of Leicester to study the bone and tooth chemistry of King Richard. They discovered some fascinating facts about his diet.

They discovered that Richard had had major changes in diet and location in his early childhood and in later life. The period we are most interested in, his later life when he became King, seems to indicate that he began to indulge in a diet filled with expensive and high status food and drink. How do they know this?

The chemistry of the femur, ribs, and teeth indicate changes in development at different stages of life. "Isotrope" measurements for geographical location, pollution, and diet, can be analysed. The teeth, which form in childhood, seem to indicate a change for Richard, confirmed when he moved from his birthplace at Fotheringay Castle to eastern England at age 7. He was in an area of higher rainfall, older rocks, and had a significant change in diet.

By looking at the femur, researchers could tell that he had moved back to eastern England and then began to eat rich foods common to the highest aristocracy.

The third bone to look for clues, the rib, renews itself quickly in growth, so it only represents the last 2 to 5 years of life. The data from this bone indicate the greatest change in diet. Researchers discovered that the biggest change here from the femur bone data is that he began to eat more freshwater fish and birds, which were popular at royal banquets. He was also probably drinking more wine.

So what did King Richard eat? Birds such as swan, crane, heron, and egret would have been common fare at a kingly banquet. There was a lot of meat on the table. Vegetables and fruit were mostly for poorer folk, although exotic fruits could be found on the table. Pastries, breads, cheeses, nuts, and wine and ale would have been abundant. Oxen, fish, poultry, eggs, beef, pork, and mutton were included in many feasts. And meat pies, too! The desserts alone were probably amazing. There would be jellies, tarts, custards, cakes, and more.

The nobility were also able to eat three meals a day, unlike the common folk. That would be a lot of work for kitchen staff!

Eating like this very often would make one quite corpulent and unfit for battle. I can only suppose that Richard didn't feast very often if he had to be ready for war at any time. Besides, how would he have fit into his armour? 

But a good feast of British food can be a nice way to celebrate something special!