Medieval Road Food: Eating and Drinking on the Go

Long before fast food joints along the highway or coolers full of snacks, people grappled with how to eat and drink while on the road. In the Middle Ages, this often meant stopping at inns and roadside taverns or packing provisions on horseback. We are given a fascinating glimpse into historical road food by physician Gugliermo Grataroli, who penned a book of eating advice for fellow travelers. His Regimen Omnium Iter Agentium (Diet for Everyone on the Road), published in 1556, instructed travelers on how to stay healthy on the go. But did people heed such advice? Diaries of medieval travelers suggest that though they tried, the seduction of fast food and junk food proved difficult to resist—even then. After this lively talk, join historian Ken Albala for a food and wine experience guaranteed to satisfy your medieval munchies with a sampling of Grataroli’s “health foods” and other more decadent sweets and savories, along with a curated selection of three period-inspired wines.


5:30pm: Lecture
6:30-8:30pm: Tasting
Tickets include a lecture, wine tasting, hearty appetizers, and good company. Limited capacity. 21 and over.

🖼️ The Temperate and the Intemperate, about 1475–80, Master of the Dresden Prayer Book. Tempera colors and ink, 6 7/8 × 7 5/8 in. Getty Museum, Ms. 43 (91.MS.81), recto

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