Pottage

Poor villagers relied heavily on bread, often made from rye, and pottage made with peas, beans and whatever other ingredients were available. Milk, eggs and cheese supplemented this diet. Meat was less common because animals were valuable and preserving meat was difficult.

For peasants, an everyday meal was pottage, a thick soup cooked in a large iron pot. It could contain cabbage, onions, leeks, peas, broad beans, barley or oats. Available ingredients and water were added to the mixture, and animal bones were sometimes included.