If one was looking to enjoy a fine meal in the medieval world then the best place to find a handsomely laid dinner table was in the local castle. There, in the magnificent Great Hall, feasts were regularly served for the local lord and his entourage of knights and ladies where a hearty appetite was considered a great virtue. The cooks in the castle kitchens could draw on the castle's own food stores made plentiful with goods either paid in tax by, or commandeered from, the local peasantry or the foodstuffs produced from the castle's own lands. Supplementing these goodies was anything that the castle residents could bring in from their frequent hunting trips in the local forests. With not much else going on by way of regular entertainment, a good banquet was a highlight of the day and a chance to dress up, try out some exotic foods and be entertained by musicians and poets.

? ? ? ? ? 在中世紀(jì)的世界里，如果有人想享受美食，那么最好的地方就是在當(dāng)?shù)氐某潜だ镎业揭粡埐贾镁碌牟妥?。在宏偉的大禮堂里，人們定期為當(dāng)?shù)氐念I(lǐng)主及其隨行的騎士和女士們提供盛宴；在那里，好胃口被認(rèn)為是一種偉大的美德。城堡廚房里的廚師們可以利用城堡自身的食品倉庫，用當(dāng)?shù)剞r(nóng)民繳納的稅款或從他們那里征用的貨物或城堡自己的土地上生產(chǎn)的食品來補(bǔ)充。補(bǔ)充這些食物的是城堡居民經(jīng)常在當(dāng)?shù)厣掷锎颢C所能帶來的任何東西。由于平時(shí)的娛樂活動(dòng)并不多，一場(chǎng)好的宴會(huì)是一天中的亮點(diǎn)，也是一個(gè)穿戴整齊的機(jī)會(huì)，嘗試一些異國的食物，接受音樂家和詩人的娛樂。

食 品 供 應(yīng)

Castles could store plenty of foodstuffs in the basement and ground floor of the tower keep as, without windows (to improve security during a siege), this part of the building was not much good for anything else. In the courtyards of larger castles there were other buildings for brewing beer, making bread, and more storage space such as the buttery which was used to keep a plentiful stock of beer, wine and cider (always useful if the water ran out during a prolonged attack). There might also be a more select stock of spirits such as English mead or French brandy, kept in reserve for the lord and special occasions. In larger castles there was, too, space for keeping livestock, perhaps a dovecote for pigeons, a granary for keeping grain and flour, a pond for fish and a garden for growing herbs, fruit, vines and vegetables.

? ? ? ? ? 城堡塔樓的地下室可以儲(chǔ)存大量的食品，因?yàn)槿绻麤]有窗戶（以提高被圍攻時(shí)的安全性），這部分建筑就沒有什么用處。在大型城堡的院子里，還有其他建筑用于釀造啤酒、制作面包，以及更多的儲(chǔ)存空間，如用于儲(chǔ)存大量啤酒、葡萄酒和蘋果酒的黃油庫（如果在長期的攻擊中水被耗盡，它總是很有用）。還可能有更多精選的烈酒儲(chǔ)備，如英國蜂蜜酒或法國白蘭地，為領(lǐng)主和特殊場(chǎng)合保留。在較大的城堡中，也有飼養(yǎng)牲畜的空間，也許還有飼養(yǎng)鴿子的鴿舍，儲(chǔ)存谷物和面粉的糧倉，養(yǎng)魚的池塘和種植草藥、水果、葡萄和蔬菜的花園。

The foodstuffs came from the castle's own animals and lands or were paid to it as a form of tax by local farmers. It was the responsibility of the lady of the castle to oversee all the domestic aspects of castle-life including the food supply (although a local sheriff actually procured the food required from peasants), the daily menu and the care of any guests. Food supplies were not always regular, of course. Adverse weather conditions hit agriculture and disrupted availability, sending prices rocketing and making certain foods unobtainable. Food production, as with most other human activities, was especially hit by such catastrophic events as war, famine and plague. Still, in the normal course of events, a daily dinner at the castle was an event not to be missed.

? ? ? ? ? ?食品來自城堡自己的畜養(yǎng)的家畜或所屬領(lǐng)地，或者由當(dāng)?shù)剞r(nóng)民上繳的（以稅收的形式）。城堡的女主人有責(zé)任監(jiān)督城堡生活，包括食品供應(yīng)（盡管當(dāng)?shù)鼐L從農(nóng)民那里采購了所需的食品）、日常菜單和對(duì)任何客人的照顧。當(dāng)然，食品供應(yīng)并不總是正常的。惡劣的天氣條件會(huì)打擊農(nóng)業(yè)，擾亂食品供應(yīng)，使食品價(jià)格急劇上升，使某些食物無法獲得。與大多數(shù)其他人類活動(dòng)一樣，食品生產(chǎn)尤其受到戰(zhàn)爭、饑荒和瘟疫等災(zāi)難性事件的打擊。然而，在正常情況下，城堡里的晚餐是一個(gè)不容錯(cuò)過的事件。

大? ? ?廳

In the Great Hall of the castle, which usually had an impressive high ceiling (perhaps even a vaulted one) and wall decorations of weapons, wall hangings, murals and coats of arms, there was a large fireplace for warmth and long tables with benches set around the walls for the diners. Even the floor was taken care of and spread with straw and herbs to keep out pests and provide a little fragrance. Seating arrangements were quite well defined. The lord and lady of the castle with their immediate entourage usually sat on a raised platform at the end of the hall - the original high table and usually the most draught-free spot. Only the lord of the castle and sometimes his lady sat on a chair; everyone else had to make do with the benches. The tables were simple affairs set on trestles which were only set up at mealtimes. Laid with a tablecloth, each place had a knife, spoon, and cup while shared between diners were jugs for drinking and a dish for salt.

? ? ? ? ? 在城堡的大廳里，通常有一個(gè)令人印象深刻的高天花板（也許甚至是一個(gè)拱形天花板），墻上有武器、壁掛、壁畫和紋章等裝飾，有一個(gè)大壁爐取暖，有長桌，長椅圍繞墻壁擺放，供食客使用。甚至地板也被打理得很好，鋪上了稻草和草藥，以防止害蟲，并提供一點(diǎn)香味。座位的安排相當(dāng)明確。城堡的領(lǐng)主和夫人以及他們的隨從通常坐在大廳盡頭的高臺(tái)上——這是最初的高桌，通常是最不通風(fēng)的地方。只有城堡的主人，有時(shí)還有他的夫人坐在椅子上；其他人都不得不坐在長椅上。桌子是簡單的，擺在架子上，只有在吃飯的時(shí)候才會(huì)擺上。桌子上鋪著桌布，每個(gè)地方都有刀、勺和杯子，而食客之間分享的是飲水壺和一個(gè)放鹽的盤子。

After normally having eaten a meagre breakfast of bread and wine, and with only a simple supper in the later afternoon to look forward to, the diners would have been ready for their big meal of the day, usually served between 10 am and 12 noon. If it were a festival or a Christian holiday, then the meal, ordinarily a pretty good one anyway, would be an extra special feast. Dinner was announced by a chamberlain blowing a horn which was the signal for everyone to wash their hands in the bowl of water at their place. As there were no forks and people cut up food with a knife and then used their fingers, retainers were always on hand with fresh bowls of water and towels. Curiously, dishes were served for two people and the less distinguished of the pairing was expected to cut the food and break the bread for the other. Other conventions of decorum were not to put one's elbows on the table, not leave a spoon in the shared dish, not to take huge helpings, wipe the mouth before drinking, and never belch.

? ? ? ? ? 通常在吃過含有面包和酒的微薄早餐后，食客們只需在下午晚些時(shí)候期待一頓簡單的晚餐，城堡的侍者們會(huì)準(zhǔn)備好一天的大餐，通常在上午10點(diǎn)到中午12點(diǎn)之間供應(yīng)。如果是節(jié)日或基督教節(jié)日，那么這頓飯，無論如何都是相當(dāng)不錯(cuò)的，這將是一場(chǎng)特別的盛宴。晚飯由內(nèi)侍吹響號(hào)角宣布開始，這是每個(gè)人在自己位置上的水盆里洗手的信號(hào)。由于當(dāng)時(shí)沒有叉子，人們用刀切食物，然后用手拿著吃，家臣們總是帶著干凈的水碗和毛巾在旁邊。奇怪的是，菜肴是為兩個(gè)人準(zhǔn)備的，雙方中身份相對(duì)較低的人要為另一個(gè)人切菜和掰面包。其他禮節(jié)性的慣例是不要把胳膊肘放在桌子上，不要把勺子留在共用的盤子里，不要大吃大喝，喝酒前要擦嘴，不要打嗝。

廚? ? ?房

Chefs were assisted, depending on the size of the castle, by such skilled specialists as a sauce chef, a slaughterer, a baker, a poulterer and a fruiterer. Other staff included cupbearers, brewers, and people responsible for specific aspects of the medieval dining experience like the tablecloths, the candles, the silver dining service and getting the food to the guests from the kitchen before it got stone cold.

? ? ? ? ? 根據(jù)城堡的大小，廚師們會(huì)得到各種熟練專家們的協(xié)助，如醬汁廚師、屠宰工、面包師、烤肉師和水果師。其他工作人員包括持杯人、釀酒師以及負(fù)責(zé)中世紀(jì)用餐禮儀的特定方面的人，如桌布、蠟燭、銀質(zhì)餐具的擺放以及在食物變冷之前從廚房送到客人手中等服務(wù)。

Chefs had a large open fire, spit braziers and an oven with which to whip up their magic. Some ovens were huge, as those commissioned by King John of England at both Marlborough and Ludgershall castles where they were large enough to accommodate a whole ox. By the kitchen was a pantry where such goodies as cheese, eggs and bread were stored.

? ? ? ? ? 廚師們有一個(gè)很大的明火灶、吐司爐和烤爐，可以用它來制作美味的食物。有些烤爐非常巨大，如英國國王約翰在馬爾堡和路德維希爾城堡委托建造的烤爐，其大小足以容納一整頭牛。廚房邊上有一個(gè)儲(chǔ)藏室，存放著奶酪、雞蛋和面包等好東西。

中?世 紀(jì) 的 盛 宴

The one thing that differentiated the medieval rich from the poor more than any other in terms of food was meat. Meat could be fresh, salted or smoked, and included chicken, bacon, pork, beef, mutton, duck, geese, pigeons, and wild birds such as pheasants and partridges. For the more adventurous diner there were cranes, larks and herons but just about anything with wings on it could find its way onto a castle dinner table. Then there was four-legged game such as deer, hares and boars which were all captured on a hunt, an especially popular pastime for those rich enough not to have to work for a living. More exotic fare included swans and peacocks, which made especially impressive presentation dishes.

? ? ? ? ? 在食物方面，中世紀(jì)的富人與窮人的區(qū)別比其他都大——那就是肉類。肉類可以是新鮮的、腌制的或熏制的，包括雞肉、熏肉、豬肉、牛肉、羊肉、鴨肉、鵝肉、鴿子以及野雞和鷓鴣等野鳥。對(duì)于更喜歡冒險(xiǎn)的食客來說，還有鶴、云雀和蒼鷺，但幾乎所有帶翅膀的東西都能在城堡的餐桌上找到它。然后是四條腿的動(dòng)物，如鹿、野兔和野豬，它們都是在狩獵中捕獲的，這對(duì)那些不用工作謀生的富人來說是特別受歡迎的消遣。更具異國情調(diào)的食物包括天鵝和孔雀，它們是特別令人印象深刻的展示菜肴。

The fashion in the Middle Ages was to boil meat in large cauldrons, a process known as 'seething'. Alternatively, it was roasted or grilled while meat stews and soups were prepared, too. Meat dumplings were made from minced meat mixed with egg and breadcrumbs and then poached. There was also a dish where meat was pounded into a paste and mixed with boiled rice. Finally, meat pies, pastries and fritters were prepared, and there were fish pies, too. Commonly eaten fish included herring, cod, trout, sole, plaice, salmon, bream, pike, mackerel and mullet. Fish was fresh or had been smoked or salted to preserve it. It was usually fried or cooked in a mix of ale and saltwater. The most exotic and expensive examples of seafood were sturgeon and whale, both known as the “royal fish” but there were also crayfish, eels, oysters and porpoise if the host wanted to impress his guests.

? ? ? ? ? 中世紀(jì)流行在大鍋里煮肉，這個(gè)過程被稱為"出爐"。另外，還可以烤肉，也可以準(zhǔn)備燉肉和湯。“肉餡餃子”是由肉末與雞蛋和面包屑混合，然后水煮而成。還有一道菜是將肉搗成糊狀并與煮熟的米飯混合。最后，廚師還會(huì)準(zhǔn)備肉餡餅、糕點(diǎn)和油炸食品，也有魚餡餅。常吃的魚包括鯡魚、鱈魚、鱒魚、鰨魚、鰈魚、鮭魚、鳊魚、梭魚、鯖魚和鯔魚。魚是新鮮的，或者經(jīng)過熏制或鹽漬來保存。它通常被油炸或在麥芽酒和鹽水的混合物中烹調(diào)。最具異國情調(diào)和最昂貴的海鮮是鱘魚和鯨魚，兩者都被稱為"皇家魚"，但如果主人想給客人留下深刻印象，也有小龍蝦、鰻魚、牡蠣和鼠海豚。

The most common vegetables were peas and beans but there were also root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and burdock as well as lettuce, beets, cabbage, spinach, leeks, pumpkins and watercress. Capers and nuts were favourites. Bread, darker than we are used to today because of the lack of refined flour, besides being a handy filler, was also used as a plate. Roast meat, in particular, was often served on a thick slice of one-day-old bread (a trencher or manchet) while other dishes came in bowls.

? ? ? ? ? 最常見的蔬菜是豌豆和其他豆類，但也有根莖類蔬菜，如胡蘿卜、西蘭花和牛蒡，以及生菜、甜菜、白菜、菠菜、韭菜、南瓜和水芹。辣椒和堅(jiān)果是最受歡迎的。由于缺乏精制面粉，面包的顏色比我們今天的要深，面包除了是一種方便的食物外，還被用作盤子。特別是烤肉，經(jīng)常被放在一片厚厚的一天前制作的面包（trencher或manchet）上，而其他菜肴則被放在碗里。

Dessert consisted of cheese, wafers and pastries such as fruit or cheese tarts. Fruits included apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries and wild fruits. For the wealthiest of castle hosts, the exotic foodstuffs to be found on his table, which were brought in from abroad, included rice, almonds, raisins, oranges, pomegranates, figs and dates.

? ? ? ? ? 甜品包括奶酪、威化餅和糕點(diǎn)，如水果或奶酪餡餅。水果包括蘋果、梨、李子、桃子、櫻桃和一些野果。對(duì)于最富有的城堡主人來說，在他的餐桌上可以看到從國外帶來的異國食品，包括大米、杏仁、葡萄干、橙子、石榴、無花果和棗。

Food could be seasoned using salt, vinegar, mustard, aniseed, and herbs (e.g. basil, fennel, rosemary, parsley, sage and mint). Honey was a common sweetener as was special sugar, sometimes made with roses and violets. Sauces were prepared by grinding herbs and mixing them with wine, the juice of unripe grapes (verjuice), or vinegar. Onions, garlic, ginger, saffron, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon were also in the chef's repertoire to make the mundane more interesting and mask the taste of any meat that had not fared so well in the castle's larder. Spices were expensive, though, with 30 grammes of pepper, for example, costing the day's wages of a labourer.

? ? ? ? ? 食物可以用鹽、醋、芥末、大茴香和藥性食材（如羅勒、茴香、迷迭香、歐芹、鼠尾草和薄荷）進(jìn)行調(diào)味。蜂蜜是一種常見的甜味劑，也是一種特殊的糖，有時(shí)用玫瑰和紫羅蘭制成。醬汁是通過研磨草藥并與葡萄酒、未成熟葡萄的汁液（verjuice）或醋混合而成的。洋蔥、大蒜、生姜、藏紅花、丁香、肉豆蔻和肉桂也在廚師的食譜中，以使平凡的食物味道更加有趣，并掩蓋在城堡的儲(chǔ)藏室中味道不佳的肉類的氣味。不過，香料是很昂貴的，例如，30克的胡椒就需要花費(fèi)一個(gè)工人一天的工資。

For drinks, there was wine, always drunk young as nobody had yet invented a good way to seal and store it indefinitely. Decanted from barrels into jugs it might have a few little additives like spices or sweeteners which was just as well because it was usually not very good according to several medieval commentators. Alternatively, but not really for the distinguished guest, there were beers and ales made from barley, malt, wheat or oats. Being weak in alcohol content it was also drunk by children. Water was none too clean and best avoided.

? ? ? ? ? 在飲料方面，有葡萄酒，總是在剛釀制好時(shí)喝，因?yàn)檫€沒有人發(fā)明出密封和無限期儲(chǔ)存的好方法。從桶中倒入壺中，可能會(huì)放一些添加劑，如香料或甜味劑，這也很好，因?yàn)楦鶕?jù)一些中世紀(jì)評(píng)論家的說法，剛釀出的葡萄酒味道通常不是很好。另外，還有用大麥、麥芽、小麥或燕麥制成的啤酒和麥芽酒，但這并不適合尊貴的客人。由于酒精含量低，兒童也會(huì)喝一些。水在當(dāng)時(shí)是不太干凈的（不易干凈地儲(chǔ)存），最好不要喝。

All of this food could be spread over many courses, sometimes up to ten in a single meal. The diners need have no fear of seeming a bit greedy, though, as a good appetite was considered a great virtue in the medieval world. Indeed, there were even such sayings as 'a man who eats heartily will never prove to be a coward' and knights, especially, probably tried to outdo each other on just how much food and drink they could put away. One of the most famous of all knights, the Englishman Sir William Marshal (c. 1146-1219 CE) was known as 'the glutton' or gaste-viande in his youth, and it was a term of endearment rather than criticism. Similarly, another knight, Guy de Bourgogne, seems to have gone out of his way to impress his Saracen captors who reported that he had the appetite of four men.

? ? ? ? ? 這些食物可以分散在許多道菜里，有時(shí)一餐可以吃到十道。不過，食客們不必?fù)?dān)心會(huì)顯得有些貪婪，因?yàn)樵谥惺兰o(jì)的世界里，良好的胃口被認(rèn)為是一種偉大的美德。事實(shí)上，甚至有這樣的說法："一個(gè)吃得飽的人永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)被證明是個(gè)懦夫"，特別是騎士們，可能試圖在他們能吃多少食物和飲料上超越對(duì)方。最著名的騎士之一，英國人威廉·馬歇爾爵士（約公元1146-1219年）在年輕時(shí)被稱為 "貪食者 "或gaste-viande，這是一個(gè)愛稱，而不是批評(píng)的說法。同樣，另一位騎士蓋伊·德·布爾戈涅（Guy de Bourgogne）似乎是為了給俘虜他的撒拉遜人留下深刻印象，他們報(bào)告說他有四個(gè)人的胃口。

娛? ? ?樂

While the guests were tucking into all this hearty fare, jugglers and jesters performed, perhaps a harpist offered some unobtrusive background music and minstrels sang and played the lute or vielle (an early version of the violin) for their entertainment. After the meal, guests who still felt up to it could play games such as dice, backgammon or the hugely popular chess, all of which might involve a bit of betting. Alternatively, the minstrels belted out a few songs, the chanson de gestes and chansons d'amour, actually epic poems in Old French which told familiar stories of knightly daring deeds and impossible romances respectively. One or two of the guests might perform songs they had themselves composed, such was the expectation upon a chivalrous knight and a suitable recompense for the host's generosity in offering such a fine dining experience.

? ? ? ? ? 當(dāng)客人們吃著這些豐盛的食物時(shí)，雜耍者和小丑在表演，豎琴師會(huì)為宴會(huì)提供一些不引人注意的背景音樂，吟游詩人在唱歌，彈奏琵琶或vielle（小提琴的早期版本）供他們娛樂。飯后，仍然有精力的客人們可以玩一些游戲，如骰子、雙陸棋或大受歡迎的國際象棋，這些游戲都可能涉及到一些賭注。另外，吟游詩人還會(huì)唱幾首歌曲，即chanson de gestes和chansons d'amour，實(shí)際上是古法語的史詩，分別講述人們熟悉的騎士的大膽行為和虛幻的浪漫故事。有一兩個(gè)客人可能會(huì)表演他們自己創(chuàng)作的歌曲，這是人們對(duì)騎士的期望，也是對(duì)主人慷慨提供如此美好的用餐體驗(yàn)的適當(dāng)補(bǔ)償。

參考書目：

Creighton, O.H. Castles and Landscapes. Equinox Publishing, 2004.

Gies, J. Life in a Medieval Castle. Harper Perennial, 2015.

Gravett, C. Norman Stone Castles. Osprey Publishing, 2018.

Keen, M. The Penguin History of Medieval Europe. Penguin Books, 1991.

Phillips, C. The Complete Illustrated History of Knights & The Golden Age of Chivalry. Southwater, 2017.

Phillips, C. The Medieval Castle Manual. Haynes Publishing UK, 2018.

Pounds, N.J.G. The Medieval Castle in England and Wales. Cambridge University Press, 1993.

作者：Mark Cartwright

????????? 駐意大利的歷史作家。他的主要興趣包括陶瓷、建筑、世界神話和發(fā)現(xiàn)所有文明的共同思想。他擁有政治哲學(xué)碩士學(xué)位，是《世界歷史百科全書》的出版總監(jiān)。

原文網(wǎng)址：

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1229/food-in-an-english-medieval-castle/