What was eaten and drunk at the Opava Castle?
As part of the 2nd stage of rescue archaeological research conducted in the basement of Müller's House in 2016, important knowledge was obtained about the structural development of the house, the location of which in the curtain area is related to the existence of the castle kitchen of the nearby Přemyslid Castle.
Based on the finds of archaeobotanical residues and remains of animal bones, which were subjected to special natural science analyses, it is possible to, at least partially, reconstruct the menu of the Duke's table in the Opava Castle.
Meat was the predominant component of the diet of the inhabitants of the Opava Castle. Mainly beef and pork were consumed. Their processing took place directly in the castle complex. In addition to adult and young heads of beef and pork, the kitchen of the Opava castle also processed dishes made from sheep or goat meat. Poultry meat was a luxury dish in the Middle Ages, more typical of the cuisine of higher social groups. Both young (chickens) and adult pieces were prepared by cooking or roasting, especially (in the case of chicken) on holidays or other important days. The occurrence of horse and donkey bones in the waste from the Opava Castle kitchen is very interesting.
During fasting days, up to 150 in the medieval Christian year (fasts of injury and abstinence), it was allowed to consume anything "born in water" from the 9th century. Findings of a large number of fish scales and shells of both freshwater and marine snails and oysters testify to the variety of diet even during these fasting days. Considering their high nutritional value and the proportion of proteins and minerals in their meat, we can consider the consumption of snails as more of a supplementary diet, which was not quite common in the Czech lands during the Middle Ages.
Game meat was also an integral part of the menu of the Opava princely court. Based on the findings, bones of wild boar, deer, roe deer and hare appear in the material, which represents a typical range of species consumed in the period of High Middle Ages.
Plant-based food was also prepared at the Opava castle, when bread, legumes and vegetables formed the basis of the menu for all levels of society. In particular, cereals, which were processed into bread, porridge or soups, dominate. Oats, millet or barley were used for soups and porridges, due to their "suitability" for cooking. Peas and lentils are the oldest cultivated legumes and characteristic representatives of the medieval cuisine of the rich and the poor. Peas were primarily used to prepare soups and porridges, in case of a shortage, legumes could be used in the production of bread together with cereals, and, in the higher social environment, legumes were also prepared as desserts. Peas were cooked with groats or roasted.