As a predominantly Christian culture for several centuries, daily life in medieval Western Europe became closely entwined with religious practices. Food, in particular, reflected Christian beliefs and actions in both quotidian and extraordinary ways. What, when, and how people ate was partly determined by the liturgical year and the calendar of saints. Personal prayer and sacrifice was reflected by fasting and abstinence from specific foods. And every Church celebration, however solemn or joyous, was demonstrated by culinary practices. In my presentation, I will describe several of these, including:

• The Mass as a Eucharistic meal;

• The centrality and symbolism of bread and wine at medieval tables;

• The practice of fasting and abstinence to reflect personal and Church-mandated sacrifice and prayer;

• The importance of meat and fish recipes in celebrating the liturgical year;

• The production of specialty Christian foods, such as Communion wafers and convent-produced pastries dedicated to saints and religious orders; and

• The depiction of food and culinary practices in religious art, including literature, music, and visual art.

In everyday and extraordinary culinary customs, Christians in medieval Europe acted out their faith through food, continually shaping and understanding liturgical practices.