At the queen's table: food, ritual and communication in late medieval Castile

Abstract

Food gives the possibility to differentiate oneself through the products that are consumed, but also through the way in which the act takes place. The objects, the people, their performance and the way they transmit it and create memory are relevant, reflecting the role assumed by the queen, her culinary needs and her participation as a key piece of courtly refinement. This paper will focus on the queen's diet in the Crown of Castile and the significance of her participation in the scenography of the royal table in the late Middle Ages.