MIDDLE AGES

During the Middle Ages the way to eat had a transformation. Romans and Etruscan people  ate lying down and they preferred food dominated by soups, minced meat, meat balls,  boiled and stuffed meal and they were easier to digest. During the Middle Ages people eat erect, on stools or benches and meals are less elaborated and closer to their nature. In the middle of the table of noble people a dish full of different meat were put and guests took it by hands. The nutrition of poorer persons was made of cereals and legumes and a big bread slice seasoned with sauces that were poor in fat, proteins and vitamins. Rich people generally ate game made of deer and roes avoiding domestic animals, so it was more and more frequent to use aromatic and spiced sauces that mitigated the taste and smell of food that, without refrigeration, could not have a long life. The use of spices and honey ,often put also in  wine to mask its acidity, was a real status symbol.

1.    During the Middle Ages Italian people

a)     ate lying down

b)    ate sitting on the floor

c)     ate erect on stools or benches

d)    ate on particular beds

2.    During the Middle Ages Italian rich people ate

a)      legumes and cereals

b)    a lot of fruit

c)     a lot of pasta

d)    a lot of game

3.    During the Middle Ages spices and honey

a)     were rarely used

b)    became a status symbol

c)     were used only with meat

d)    became forbidden