9. Medical thought of the day influenced cooking techniques and recipes
During the medieval age, the overwhelming belief of the medical profession was that the body contained four “humors” which must be maintained in balance to ensure good health. The same was true of nature, and of the foods which nature provided. For the medieval cook, at least among the educated, which is another way of saying the wealthy, it was necessary to maintain the balance when preparing food. Fish, for example, was regarded as cool and wet. It should be thus prepared in a manner which rendered it hot and dry, and seasoned appropriately.
Pork on the other hand was considered to be hot and wet, based on the nature of the animal from which it was produced. Roasting cooked it while inducing the proper balance. Beef, being obtained from an animal considered dry was best prepared by boiling, at least according to British cooks. The Germans too believed beef best boiled, and the modern equivalent of the pot roast emerged in both cultures. The use of herbs, and later spices, for flavoring also considered the desirability of maintaining the balance of humors, since what was taken into the body would alter the humors within that vessel, and thus alter the health of the consumer.
