Medieval Lecture: The Appetite and The Eye - Understanding the Aesthetics of Food

Hosted by Ivan Day, a well-known independent food historian who is celebrated for his recreations of British and European period table settings. Ivan combines genuine museum objects with historic food to clarify our understanding of how our ancestors dined at table. His preferred methodology is to create dishes, not only from early recipes, but to use the techniques and equipment of a given period.

In this illustrated lecture Ivan is going to discuss his philosophy and approach to the interpretation of both the written sources and material culture of food. He will focus particularly on the changing aesthetics of food from the late medieval period to the industrial revolution.