Honey was the big sweetener in the Middle Ages. The Vikings used a lot of it to make mead. You can read my article "The Stuff of Poetry Mead" (http://onlinecooking.net/output_story.php?ID=1038) for more information. The Vikings drank more than just mead. They had access to ale and even wines brought back from Italy and France. Bread would have been a staple, since it is filling (it also keeps you pretty regular). I recall a class assignment back in elementary school where we had to prepare a food from our respective cultures. Being proud of my Scandinavian ancestors, I picked something Viking related. I found a recipe in an old issue of Skalk, (

Here is a recipe that translates pretty well even to modern times. It will keep you going on the coldest of winter nights. Drink a couple horns of mead and you'll be really happy.

Paul's Viking Stew

A large piece of meat cut into cubes One large onion (chopped) One carrot (chopped) A few stalks of celery (chopped) One Parsnip (chopped) Some cabbage (chopped) Pearled barley Beef broth or stock, you can use chicken stock as well Oil for cooking Salt and Pepper

Put your vegetables into a big pot and cook on low heat in a little oil. If you want to stay authentic, do not use corn oil. Corn as we know it in the Americas was not used until much later. Olive oil might have been used if some Norwegian traveled to Italy and picked up some.

When the onions and cabbage look translucent, then add the meat and barley. Cover everything with your stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and stir it occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.

Cook until the barley is cooked and the meat is done all the way through. You can also thicken this with a little flour in water.

So there you have it, an interpretation that would probably be a little better than what the standard Viking would have. The point is that this is a dish that would have been made with ingredients that were available at the time. Stay tuned for more medieval recipes.

Paul Rinehart is classically trained and is the founder of Online Cooking.
About the Author

Paul Rinehart is classically trained and is the founder of Online Cooking.