French Aristocrats Only Started to Eat Vegetables in the 17th Century

14:11, December 6, 2022

Changes in French food culture revealed by historians on the Vseobschaya Live podcast

The aristocrats of France began to eat plant foods only at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries. As a result, there was a departure from medieval traditions and tastes, and new gastronomic habits were formed. Tatiana Platonova, Associate Professor at the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at Ural Federal University, spoke about the art of French dining in the Vseobschaya Live podcast.

"Medieval treatises about cuisine contained very few vegetable recipes. The reason was that plant foods were considered the food of the poor. Everything that grows on the ground is coarse and poorly digested. Vegetables began to appear on the table of the aristocracy in the late 16th century, probably under the influence of Italian cuisine. Cucumbers, cabbage, beans, pumpkin, spinach. Green peas earned a special popularity. They were considered a delicacy and were a great gift, telling of the disposition of the one who gave them. According to Gédéon Tallemant des Réaux, a French writer, King Louis XIII, as well as other aristocrats, grew green peas," said Tatiana Platonova.

In the 17th century, the food culture of the French aristocrats was significantly transformed. For example, they limited their consumption of spices, changed their attitude to sour taste, and began to use new products: from other countries or even from the cuisine of the poor.

"First of all, the true taste of food began to be valued. The Middle Ages were characterized by a predilection for spices: ginger, cloves, saffron, and cinnamon were used. In the Renaissance there are more refined tastes, the number of spices in one dish is limited. In the 17th century, we see a desire for naturalness: exotic spices are replaced by local herbs. Parsley, basil, tarragon and thyme appear in gastronomic recipes. Secondly, sour flavors begin to be dosed more moderately in dishes. Third, new products, particularly butter, are entering aristocratic cuisine. In the Middle Ages it was common only in the households of the poor, and the cuisine of the wealthy population used other fats: above all, vegetable oil," Tatiana Platonova explained.

According to the historian, the role of sugar has also changed. In particular, sugars moved from soups and roasts, where they had previously been used, to baked goods and desserts. Foods from other continents, such as chocolate, coffee and cocoa, had a great influence on the change in food culture. Rather slowly, but still, sugar beets entered the daily diet, as well as corn, which saved the south of France from starvation. As for the potato, it became widespread in this country only in the middle of the 18th century.

Historians discuss this and other notable historical facts, events and personalities from the past in a series of the Vseobschaya Live podcast. The podcasts were launched by young researchers and postgraduate students of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History and the Department of History of Ancient World and Middle Ages at Ural Federal University. Previous editions, for example, discussed the personality of Slobodan Milosevic, the insecure celebration of November 11 in the 1930s in Paris, and the development of Germany. New materials are published in the group of the Department of New and Contemporary History at UrFU every Tuesday at 21:00.

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office
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