Medieval Russian Food Ingredients

We know a fair amount about the ingredients available to Russian cooks through household inventories and the Domostroi, merchant accounts, literature, and archeological remains.

Grains:

Barley:
In the 10th century layers of Novgorod, some barley was found. [Thompson]

In the 11-12th century layers of Novgorod, comparing 11th to 12th cent. finds, barley has one vs. four occurrences. [Thompson]

13-14th centuries in Novgorod, barley was apparently the main spring cereal. In Novgorod, there were 2.6 million grains of barley for the 13th cent. and 27.6 thousand in the 14th cent. [Thompson]

15th century in Novgorod: Fewer cereal grains were preserved, but winter rye and spring barley were still 1st and 2nd in quantity, respectively. [Thompson]

Buckwheat:

15th century Novgorod: Cultivated buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) makes its first appearance, apparently a newcomer introduced from farther south. [Thompson]

Millet:

In Staraya Ladoga, millet occurs in slightly higher layers than the spelt (7-8th cent.), similar in date to the layers where it is found in Novgorod. It seems to have been one of the main crops until the 12th century in the Novgorod area. [Thompson]

In the 10th century layers of Novgorod, millet is recorded in 45 occurences, none associated with granaries. [Thompson]

In 11-12th century Novgorod, comparing 11th to 12th cent. finds: millet has 23 vs. 25 occurences. [Thompson]

13-14th century Novgorod, in the wooded step zone, unlike in the forest zone, millet and wheat played a major role in agriculture. In Novgorod, millet by this time has lost its earlier importance with only 450 grains in the 13th cent. layers and 320 grains in the 14th cent. [Thompson]

15th century in Novgorod: There was only one small occurance of millet. [Thompson]

Oats:

In the 10th century layers of Novgorod, no wheat, rye or oats were found. [Thompson]

In Novgorod in the 13-14th centuries, oats were almost absent. Animals were apparently fed hay. [Thompson]

15th century in Novgorod: Wheat was still poorly represented, but the amount of oats signficantly increased. [Thompson]

Rye:

In the 10th century layers of Novgorod, no wheat, rye or oats were found. [Thompson]

In the 11-12th century layers of Novgorod, rye grows significantly in importance. In the 11th century layers, there were three finds of 2,100 grains. In the 12th cent. were found nearly 3 million grains of rye in 15 occurences. The type of weeds found with the rye indicate that it was winter rye. Winter-sown rye is also attested in the Novgorod Chronicle in the year 1127. [Thompson]

13-14th centuries in Novgorod: Rye continues to increase in predominance. The 13th cent. layers have yielded 10 million grains, and in the 14th cent. nearly 13 million. The situation in other towns in the forest zone (Pskov, Moscow, Grodno) is similar. [Thompson]

15th century in Novgorod: Fewer cereal grains were preserved, but winter rye and spring barley were still 1st and 2nd in quantity, respectively. [Thompson]

Wheat:

The oldest layers at Staraya Ladoga, 7-8th cent., contain two kinds of wheat (T. dicoceum and T. vulgare), and lesser amounts of oats, barley and rye. The spelt wheat is a southern cereal not really suited to the northern climate of the Novgorod area, indicating a southern origin of the early agricultural practices. [Thompson]

In the 10th century layers of Novgorod, no wheat, rye or oats were found. [Thompson]

In the 11-12th century layers of Novgorod, comparing 11th to 12th cent. finds, wheat has one vs. numerous occurences. The type of weeds found with the wheat indicate it was spring wheat. [Thompson]

13-14th century Novgorod:< In the wooded step zone, unlike in the forest zone, millet and wheat played a major role in agriculture. In Novgorod, wheat was rare - only 300 grains were found in the 13th cent. layers, apparently for special occasions as a luxury. Interestingly, the main find of wheat in the 14th cent. layers was associated with the only estate with a stone house. [Thompson]

15th century in Novgorod: Wheat was still poorly represented. [Thompson]

Legumes and miscellaneous seeds:

Beans:

Beans were found in the Novgorod digs. [Thompson]

Flax:

In the 11-12th century layers of Novgorod, seeds of flax were found. [Thompson]

In the 13-14th centuries, other seeds found in Novgorod were flax and peas. [Thompson]

Hemp:

In the 11-12th century layers of Novgorod, seeds of hemp were found. [Thompson]

Lentils:

In the 10th century layers of Novgorod, peas and lentils were found. [Thompson]

Peas:

In the 10th century layers of Novgorod, peas and lentils were found. [Thompson]

13-14th century Novgorod: Other seeds found were flax and peas. [Thompson]

Vegetables:

Cucumber:

Cucumber seeds (10th cent.) were found in the Novgorod digs. [Thompson]

Pumpkin:

Pumpkin seeds (14th cent.) were found in the Novgorod digs. [Thompson]
This information is very interesting since pumpkins, as we know them, seem to be a New World plant.

Turnips:

There is written evidence (birchbark letters?) for turnips in the Novgorod digs. [Thompson]

Apples:

Whole apples are found in the Novgorod digs as early as the 10th century. [Thompson]

Cherries:

Cherry stones were found throughout the layers in the Novgorod digs from the lowest levels. [Thompson]

Currents:

Traces of black currents were found in the Novgorod digs. [Thompson]

Plums:

Traces of plums were found in the Novgorod digs. [Thompson]

Raspberries:

Traces of raspberries were found in the Novgorod digs. [Thompson]

• Cariadoc's redaction
• Fuller, Michael. Novgorod Archaeology. http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/novgorodpublic.html (12 April 2007).
• Novgorod Chronicle.
• Primary Chronicle food references
• Pouncy, Carolyn, editor and translator. The Domostroi: Rules for Russian Households in the Time of Ivan the Terrible. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, NY. 1994.
• Rabinovich, M.G. Очерки Материальной Культуры Русского Феодального Города (Sources of Material Culture of the Russian Feudal City). Nauka. Moscow. 1988.
• Sudakov, G.V. Translated by Lisa Kies. Монастырская Трапеза в XVI Веке. (Cloister Meal of the 16th Cent.) http://www.strangelove.net/~kieser/Russia/cloistermeal.html (12 April 2007).
• Thompson, M.W. Novgorod the Great. Frederick Praeger, Publishers. New York. 1967.
• Zasurtsev, P.I. "Жилища Древнего Новгорода: Усадьбы и Построики Древнего Новгорода" (Yards and Buildings of Ancient Novgorod) Материалы и Исследования по Археологии СССР No 65. (Materials and Research in the Archeology of the USSR) Izdatel'stvo Academii Nauk USSR. Moscow. 1958.
• Zasurtsev, P.I. "Жилища Древнего Новгорода: Усадьбы и Построики Древнего Новгорода" (Preliminary Report of Buildings of Ancient Novgorod) Материалы и Исследования по Археологии СССР No 123. (Materials and Research in the Archeology of the USSR) Izdatel'stvo Academii Nauk USSR. Moscow. 1963.

• Form of Curye
• von Guter spise
• le Menagier

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