Cuisine in the Middle Age

The cuisine of the Barbarians who invaded Italy from the 5th century A.D. was considerably different from that of the Romans and was based on plentiful roast meats, stuffed pastries and oven-baked pies. However, for the Italian population reduced to poverty and servitude, food was rather poor and consisted of cereals, milk, cheese and vegetables. Gradually, culinary art began a revival (especially after 1000 A.D.) in the agricultural centers around the monasteries where the famished and terrorized population had taken refuge. The general tendency was to make food healthier, more appetizing and digestible, eliminating elaborate preparation and introducing more fresh fruit and vegetables.