Historical story

Cranes, Swallows, Storks, Swans… Strange Dishes in Medieval Cuisine

Medieval banquet. At the time, birds, including cranes, were considered delicious foods

Some dishes considered delicious in past centuries, would make your skin crawl today, just think of meat dormouse (https://www.pilloledistoria.it/6340/storia-antica/cucina-dellantica-roma-carne-ghiro) and at garum (https://www.pilloledistoria.it/1787/storia-antica/garum-liquamen-salsa-preferita-dai-romani) of the ancient Romans.

However, it must be admitted that even in the Middle Ages the tastes at the table were, if considered with today's meter, rather bizarre:in the 14th century, just to give an example, crane and swallow meat were "in fashion" swan and stork.

At the time, the birds, in addition to being considered a delight for the palate, also took on a metaphorical meaning important:standing “at the top”, they symbolized the highest positions on the social ladder.

It is no coincidence that the birds, among other things very expensive, appeared only on the tables of the wealthiest, while in the lower strata of the population their flavor remained completely unknown.