Delegates given food for thought over medieval life
The event has been organised by Leeds University.
It includes trips to local medieval sites and a host of activities such as feasts and performances.
This year’s focus is on ‘Food, Feast and Famine’. More than 180 sessions will focus on this theme, covering topics from medieval cookbooks to the importance of ale in Viking life and famous poisonings of the Middle Ages.
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Hide AdCooking demonstrations have also taken place using medieval techniques and equipment.
Delegates and visitors learned about spices in medieval food and how to churn butter and were given the chance to try their hands at making sweets and bread in a medieval oven.
Axel Müller, director of the International Medieval Congress, said: “Food is an indispensable part of our life, and that of anyone who lived in the past.
“Today we are grappling with how food travels, how it gets preserved, how finite amounts can feed increasing populations. The Middle Ages faced similar challenges.
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Hide Ad“It is often assumed that the Medieval period was a period of malnutrition and poverty. This congress shows that the world then was very multifaceted, and that good food and plenty of spices could be found in many quarters.”