All sorts of meats, fish, vegetables, and grains would be mixed together to make hearty stews, often complimented with barley or oat bread. These large pots, typically made of bronze, were used to make endless variations of soups based on the availability of ingredients. The cauldron was the staple cooking tool in ancient and medieval Ireland. Pork made up the majority of consumed meat, supplemented by the availability of game. The plant life used in Irish cooking was subject to the seasonal availability of their crops for example, the yearly harvest of oats toward the end of summer. ![]() In addition, because of the importance of milk, beef was typically supplied only by bulls and old females. ![]() As dairy played a very central role in the Irish diet, domestication of cows was essential. The foods represented in ancient and medieval Irish nutrition were primarily acquired through a combination of domestication, hunting-gathering, and agriculture. Though fruits were somewhat underrepresented, the average Irish diet throughout the Middle Ages was likely fairly well-rounded, perhaps only lacking slightly in carbohydrates by modern recommendations. Medieval Irish nutrition revolved heavily around dairy and meat, followed by a hearty portion of grains and vegetables. This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported from Wikimedia Commons. ![]() This article looks at medieval Irish nutrition before the introduction and widespread incorporation of the potato in the 16th and 17th centuries.
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