Webster, in Eating with the Tudors, brings the diets of sixteenth-century English society to life in this history book-cookbook combination. The book provides an in-depth discussion of seasonal foods and the differences between each social class’s access to particular foods, then shifts to a list of recipes (and the translations for a modern audience) and Webster’s clarifying comments on each recipe or the ingredients. Eating with the Tudors provides a fascinating culinary insight into the period, and Webster adds the clarification and information necessary for the reader to understand the larger significance of the various foods and meals. While not having the same level of detail or information as a more traditional history book, the combination of historical background and recipes makes this book a unique literary hybrid and a great introduction to history and history nonfiction for new readers. The length and chapter organization (by season) makes the book very accessible for the reader, and the seasonal organization is an excellent structural tool and historical lens to view this book with. Webster’s clear familiarity with the topic and her ability to provide clear, cohesive, and relevant contextual information for the food and individual recipes makes this book a fascinating and educational, yet accessible,

As someone who watches historical cooking shows for fun, this book was so interesting. I'm not sure if I would care for many of these dishes, but it was fascinating to see history through food. This book was well researched, well written, and entertaining. I would definitely purchase a hard copy so that I could see the imaged properly.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book contained so many fascinating historical facts. It is clearly evident that the author is not only passionate about the topic but is also extremely knowledgeable. A few of the directions for the actual recipes were unclear, but I'm sure that they will be edited before published,

Wow, what a fun and interesting read! I really enjoyed this book, it's fun to learn about everyday life in other times and/or other cultures, and there are so many recipes I want to try! I would recommend this to anyone who has even a passing interest in the Tudor period (obviously), British history, and culinary history. I enjoyed Webster's writing style, and she obviously knows her stuff. What took this down a bit for me was an understandable decision on Webster's part to assume that the reader is a very experienced cook, just as the cookbooks published in the 16th century assumed their readers knew just what to do and only needed a little bit of instruction. This decision worked better for me than I thought it would, but I'm still left a bit nervous about trying some of the recipes, though to be fair, my quibble is with not having oven temperatures listed (I *think* I can figure out what a medium oven is, but still...) or more precise cooking times (since my idea of medium might be different from her idea of medium, & that will affect cooking time). This is a very modern, first world problem, in my opinion, as cooks of the time wouldn't have had temperature settings on their ovens at all, would they? They'd have to keep an eye on the food like I'll have to haha!
Seriously, though, I highly recommend this, it's a very interesting read even if you have no intention of trying the recipes, though I'd bet you'll find several you want to try by the time you reach the end. I can't wait to get started! 4.5 stars out of 5.

#EatingwiththeTudors #NetGalley

Definitely would recommend this. The author has put together a very beautiful collection of Tudor dishes with recipes

Serious foodie historians will adore this engaging and well-written history of food in Tudor times. There’s an interesting overlay with 20th/21st century nutrition with Tudor food preparation and consumption, paired with a fascinating look at who ate what and when. It’s fascinating to read about how cooks and people in general were trying to understand the properties of food and how different foods affected different people. There was a lot of superstition associated with food preparation and consumption, which adds another layer of interest to the narrative.

I also had no idea the Church controlled so much of what, when, and how people ate. The restrictions associated with all the holy days were just mind-boggling!

Recommended for large library collections and serious foodies.

What an interesting book! I've always been a fan of books that explore cooking in TV shows/books from other eras, and now this appetizing work that focuses on cooking during the time of Shakespeare. I found the history iiluminating, it was well laid out, and the recipes are ones I will try for fun with my kids at home. Thank you for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome book.

Eating with the Tudors: Food and Recipes by Brigitte Webster really grew on me. The book has a good lengthy introduction, followed by four chapters – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter – and a final chapter on banqueting food. Each chapter follows a similar structure: discussions about the food in season; what Tudor authors had to say about it; and then lots of recipes. The author gives a transcription of the original recipe; her modernised version of it; and then additional information about the dish, its ingredients, or just something related which is of interest.

I don’t cook and I had little interest in the recipes, to be honest, but I found the general information about the dishes; the lifestyle; and the ingredients absolutely fascinating. As Webster writes in the introduction, food changed a lot during the Tudor period, from when Henry VII came to the thrown in 1485 until Elizabeth I died in 1603. Food from the New World such as potatoes, new potatoes and turkey were introduced. The Catholic Church started to lose its rigid control of what people could do, including dietary restrictions based upon the Church calendar. The growth of printing enabled the mass production of recipe books and some entrepreneurs, with an eye to the nascent middle-class housewife demographic, gleefully plagiarised recipes as fast as they could and pushed books out into the market.

Webster really knows her stuff: both the historiography and the cooking. She warns us that tansy should be avoided, despite it appearing in a recipe for Tansy Cake in the 1594 book, The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin. “The effects of the body are harmful and abortive” – so not the best dish for a romantic dinner for two, then!

Any quibbles? Yes, but both nerdy! Firstly, Webster tells us what contemporary writers decided were the food’s humours (that is hot, cold, dry, moist) but tells us this was “in the first degree”, “in the second degree” or “in the third degree”. While she explains the characteristics of those four humours, she doesn’t explain what the different degrees signified. That would have enhanced our understanding of the contemporary views.

Secondly, the Tudor age saw the transition from the medieval world to the early modern: printing and the introduction of New World foods, as I mentioned above, are examples. I’d expect some transition in the technology associated with cooking, but nothing is mentioned in the book. Now, maybe there were no developments but, given the diminishment of the church, I’d expect the money that went to the Church to be diverted into secular building instead – and with that much money being suddenly spent on domestic dwellings, I would also anticipate some of that money going into new technology such as chimneys and enclosed fireplaces (according to English Heritage!) OK – maybe chimneys didn’t really revolutionise cooking, but I believe the first stove was invented in France in 1490 – surely we saw them introduced into the UK during Tudor times? That would have meant a major change to cooking techniques – did Webster see any evidence?

Overall, I whole-heartedly recommend this book, both if you enjoy trying unusual recipes (although perhaps not if you’re a vegetarian like me!) and if you want to get a sense of how the modern world was born.

#EatingwiththeTudors #NetGalley

This cookbook is such a unique and one of a kind find. The modernized recipes are great, we all expected those, but the original recipes and added research and explanation for each one is spectacular! I love collecting cookbooks and this one is going on my shelves and my sister's (she is a fanatic for the Tudors!). There is a recipe in here for everyone! I highly recommend this cookbook!

Thank you to Netgalley and Pen & Sword for this ARC ebook! ♥

This book is well presented and includes original recipes in the original English. The same recipes are also modernized. It includes photos and history of food, dining, and cooking traditions during the Tudor period. This is a great reference for anyone interested in English history and customs.
Very well researched.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this cookbook for an honest review.

“Eating with the Tudors” blew me away! I was expecting just a cookbook of modernized recipes from 16th century England (which was enough to spark my interest to get my hands on a copy), but the author did some extensive research to skillfully explain why certain foods were being served during the Tudor era and why it mattered during those times.

I was fascinated by the Tudors’ emphasis on “humoral qualities” of meals – meaning that food was seen as medicine to address particular imbalances. Learning about their concept of a balanced meal and the significance of eating seasonal food is still a relevant concept that we still follow in modern times.

I really enjoyed seeing the original of each recipe followed by the author’s modern take (along with photos!). Some recipes were out of the question for my family’s tastes, but the more recognizable recipes for pancakes, fritters, peace biscuits, and baked pippins (apples) all looked and sounded delicious! I’m excited to try several of these recipes in the upcoming weeks.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the recipes and history of food during the Tudor era. You won’t be disappointed!

This was a very interesting book. It explained how certain foods were for the lower class, like onions, and other for the upper class, and why foods were prepared the way they were. What was considered a healthy, balanced diet in Tudor England is very different from today. Boiling fish in a pound of butter is a bit much. I like seeing the original recipes and the modern version.

Thank you to the author, Pen & Sword Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I love social history books and this one is excellent as it talks about how people of all classes ate and how they were affected by religious or health factores.
The recipes are an interesting bonus and I want to find some of them
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A comprehensive guide from the nobility to the poor. .Every day diet, health concerns, church matters and the seasons,
all played a part in what people ate. There are lots of fascinating recipes from the delicious spinage fritters to the mot so appealing tansey cake.
Food was a huge part of life then, as it is now. I enjoyed this book immensely.

This definitely explained many food related references in my Tudor reading.It was organised with the recipes first and then by the season with the history of the dish at the end.I thought it was well thought out, researched and highly interesting.I enjoyed how the author gave the Tudor version as well as the modern version of each recipe.It is very meat heavy as one would expect but there are some which could be made vegetarian.Also included are culinary delights made for and given to the Tudors themselves during the holidays.A fun read for a lover of the period.

Much thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Eating with the Tudors is an extensive collection of authentic Tudor recipes that showcases the influence of religion, reformation, and politics on the dining tables of sixteenth-century England. Brigitte Webster skillfully weaves together a narrative that chronicles the changing world during Henry VII’s reign through Elizabeth I’s rule.

This book provides fascinating insights into Tudor society through meticulously researched household account books, manuscripts, letters, wills, diaries, and works by Tudor physicians, herbalists, and chronologists. Readers will discover the Tudors’ food obsession and explore the most popular ingredients of the time. The author also delves into both beloved classics, making a comeback in trendy restaurants and exotic foods that piqued Elizabethan curiosity but fell short of expectations.

Eating with the Tudors goes beyond recipes to explain the concept of a healthy balanced meal in Tudor England. It explores the significance of certain foods and their availability throughout the year, shedding light on how food played a role in establishing class, belonging, and status. With this book as a guide, readers are tempted to recreate iconic Tudor flavors and indulge in the diverse seasonal tastes that Tudor dishes offer. Whether impressing guests with a grand Tudor feast or preparing a New Year’s culinary gift fit for royalty, this book provides all the inspiration needed.

As someone who adores books about food history and enjoys trying out new recipes, eating with the Tudors was a perfect fit for me. This well-structured book presents interesting historical information alongside easy-to-read and follow recipes from Tudor times. Divided into five sections - Spring, Summer, Fall Winter, and Banqueting Food - it offers a comprehensive exploration of Tudor cuisine. While my copy had black-and-white photos (possibly due to reviewing an ARC copy), I hope that the final version will feature colorful visuals.

Overall, I highly recommend this captivating book to anyone interested in Tudor history and culinary adventures.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This is a really neat book for people that are into the Tudor era or interested in history or food history. The recipes are modernized so you can make them, but without sacrificing the integrity or the original recipes. I really enjoyed looking through it and wouldn't mind trying a few of the recipes!

Really neat, we enjoy reading about these historical recipes and recreating them! It’s impressive to see so many recipes just from one era of history.

Food history love is real and it's definitely a major interest of mine. I wanted very much to read this from the moment I read the title and was so glad for the opportunity to do so. Spoiler: it was even better than I had hoped for.

Reading over a gray and rainy summer weekend and just completely fascinated with all the research that Ms Webster obviously put into this title. The author is very knowledgeable and shares that in this treasure of a book.

The history, old recipes, and modernized recipes are made all the more intriguing by the photos accompanying the offerings. I really enjoyed learning how everyday people ate in addition to royalty.

Excellent excellent book. Definitely worthy of a spot on the bookshelf of any food history lovers or Tudor era buff.




Thank you to Pen & Sword History and NetGalley for the DRC!

Explore the world of sixteenth-century England through authentic Tudor recipes. From Henry VII to Elizabeth I, discover intriguing food facts sourced from historical records, diaries, and works by Tudor physicians and herbalists. Uncover popular ingredients, forgotten favorites, and new exotic flavors that thrilled or disappointed Elizabethans. Learn about balanced meals, food symbolism, and seasonal availability. Immerse yourself in the world of Tudor cuisine, recreate iconic flavors, and impress guests with a true Tudor feast or a regal New Year's gift.
Though I can’t say that I’ve ever been especially interested in cooking from the past, this book caught my attention as soon as I saw it. How much had the art of cooking changed through the years. I can’t say I really grasped the concept of humors and which food was good for which humor, but it was interesting to read. I also enjoyed the Tudor spelling of the time, trying to guess what they meant.

Some of the food had a strange combination to me, as a twenty-first century reader. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to try recreating the recipes for my family, though I might attempt a pie at some point. Props to the author for working out the modern day equivalent to the original recipes!

I would recommend this to readers who have an interest in the history of cooking.