European Culinary Culture in the Middle Ages

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 2, 313 - 324, 08.07.2023

Emir Hilmi Üner

Abstract

The Middle Ages in Europe appear as a period in which the strong state authority disappeared and the settled culture and institutions were largely suppressed or completely destroyed by the barbarian German tribes. Drought, famine and epidemic periods lasting for many years caused a significant decrease in the population, and the disappearance of security on trade routes led to an economic, social and cultural isolation on the continent. However, in this period national cultures and identities began to form in Europe. The Middle Ages, in which national culinary cultures also began to form in Europe has a special importance for the history of world gastronomy. In this study, Medieval European culinary culture was examined by literature review method, in order to better understanding of the history of European and world gastronomy and the origins of European national cuisines. As a result of the study, the conditions of the developments that have greatly affected the history of world gastronomy have been revealed. Besides natural factors such as climate and geography, the role of cultural accumulation in the formation of national cuisines has also been examined.

Keywords

Gastronomy, history of gastronomy, European national cuisines

Orta Çağ’da Avrupa Mutfak Kültürü

Abstract

Orta Çağ, Avrupa’da güçlü devlet otoritesinin ortadan kalktığı ve kıtada hakim olan barbar Germen toplulukların etkisiyle yerleşik kültürün ve kurumların büyük ölçüde baskılandığı veya tamamen ortadan kaldırıldığı bir dönem olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Uzun yıllar süren kuraklık, kıtlık ve salgın dönemleri nüfusun önemli ölçüde azalmasına, ticaret yollarında güvenliğin ortadan kalkması kıtada ekonomik, sosyal ve kültürel bir izolasyon sürecinin yaşanmasına neden olmuştur. Bununla birlikte Orta Çağ Avrupa’da ulusal kültür ve kimliklerin de şekillenmeye başladığı dönemdir. Avrupa’daki bölgesel mutfak kültürlerinin ulusal mutfaklar haline gelme sürecinin de temellerinin atıldığı bu dönem, dünya gastronomi tarihi içerisinde özel bir öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışmada dünya gastronomi tarihinin ve Avrupa ulusal mutfaklarının kökenlerinin daha iyi anlaşılabilmesi amacıyla Orta Çağ Avrupa mutfak kültürü literatür taraması yöntemiyle incelenmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda dünya gastronomi tarihini büyük ölçüde etkilemiş olan gelişmelerin ortaya çıktığı koşullar ve Avrupa’da ulusal mutfakların oluşum sürecinde, iklim ve coğrafya gibi doğal etmenlerin ötesinde kültürel birikimin önemi de ortaya konmuştur.

Keywords

Gastronomi, gastronomi tarihi, Avrupa ulusal mutfakları, Gastronomy, history of gastronomy, European national cuisines

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