Castles 5
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Daily Routine
The day started with the rising of the sun and the inhabitants of the castle would break their fast. Servants would light fires and have the first meal of the day, which would probably just be bread and a drink.
The lord and lady and family would attend morning mass before starting the day proper. At between 6 am and 7 am the Lord of the castle had his first meal of the day. He would have three or four meat dishes and because water was not safe to drink he would have wine or beer to drink. Between 10 am and noon dinner was served. This was the main meal of the day, and often featured three or four courses, mainly meat was eaten. He ate very few vegetables. Again he would drink beer or wine. There was no sugar so honey would be used as a sweetener (so no bad teeth!) After dinner, the day's activities would start again, or the lord might lead others on a hunt through the grounds and his deer park. The evening meal was a light meal and was usually eaten late in the day, sometimes just before bedtime. They might have larks, pigeons, pies and cakes. For special occasions people in the castle had swan or peacock.
The castle usually had a pond to keep fresh fish in. Medieval food was often half rotten so they put on lots of spices and herbs to cover up the bad taste. Cooking was done on an open fire. They used big cooking pots called cauldrons. Medieval people did not have forks. They very often ate their food off a stale piece of bread called a trencher.
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