Healthy Eating in the Middle Ages with Katherine Harvey

Welcome to a brand new season of The British Food History Podcast!

On the podcast today is medieval scholar Katherine Harvey, a scholar specialising in medieval and early modern history.

Kathryn’s new book The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living is out now, published by Reaktion Books.

We talk about humoral theory and health, the dangers of eating fresh fruit and fish, the importance of sauces, drinking and drunkenness, how obesity was viewed by medieval society and the importance of cleanliness amongst many other things.

Those listening to the secret podcast get bonus material where we talk about the importance of mealtimes when thinking about health, and the poorer members of society who don’t necessarily have much of a choice when it comes to healthy eating.

The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living by Katherine Harvey

The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages by Katherine Harvey

Katherine’s website

Follow Katherine on social media: Instagram @katherinee.harvey; X @keharvey2013; Bluesky @katherineharvey.bsky.social

Season 10 of the podcast is sponsored by Netherton Foundry, who make high-quality kitchen and outdoor cookware. Netherton Foundry ships to several countries outside of the UK, including the USA and Canada. Visit www.netherton-foundry.co.uk to find out more about their wonderful products – approved not just by me but by folk such as Tom Parker-Bowles, Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson.

If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, including bonus blog posts and recipes, access to the easter eggs and the secret podcast, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.

This episode was mixed and engineered by Thomas Ntinas of the Delicious Legacy podcast.

Things mentioned in today’s episode

York Festival of Ideas

Gerald of Wales

The filthy peasants in Monty Python and the Holy Grail

My recent toad-in-the-hole recipe

My cabinet pudding recipe

A is for Apple Season C, Episode 1

My recent appearance on BBC Breakfast

Previous pertinent blog posts

Mediæval Dining

Medieval Blanc Mange

To Make Frumenty/Furmenty

Previous pertinent podcast episodes

Subversive Feasting in Medieval King & Commoner Tales with Mark Truesdale

Medieval Meals & Manners with Danièle Cybulskie

Eel special: 2. Silver Eels with John Wyatt Greenlee

Forme of Cury with Christopher Monk

Neil’s blogs and YouTube channel:

‘British Food: a History’

The British Food History Channel

‘Neil Cooks Grigson’

Neil’s books:

Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper

A Dark History of Sugar

Knead to Know: a History of Baking

The Philosophy of Puddings

Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email me at [email protected], or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. My DMs are open.

You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory

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