Historical story

Second Courses:What Were Your Favorites in the Renaissance?

Renaissance meal. Second courses were almost always meat based

What were the main courses most frequent and loved in the Renaissance ?

This era was characterized by profound changes that also affected the culinary field.

Renaissance gastronomy was varied and innovative, very different from that of previous centuries.

The discovery of the New World moreover, at the end of the 1400s, it led to the introduction of foods hitherto unknown to the table ( see also https://www.pilloledistoria.it/9675/storia-moderna/tavola-nellitalia-rinascimentale-cosa-si-mangiava).

But let's go back to main courses:what did you eat?

Above all a lot of meat .

beef became very popular , very scarce in the Middle Ages, and the birds.

Cranes, herons and peacocks became a constant of banquets in the most high-end environments.

In this regard, the Platina , one of the greatest chefs of the Renaissance and of all times, he wrote that with the meat of birds " the most delicate dishes are made and much more suited to the tables of kings and princes than to those of humble men and modest wealth".

From the Americas, also came what was called "cock of India" , or the turkey ( Photo from: news.it).