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Medieval Cookery - A Dictionary of Middle-English Cooking Terms


The index below covers a range of Middle-English terms used in medieval English cooking texts. Included are some of the more unusual spelling variants for modern words, English words still in use but considered archaic or old fashioned, and words common to England that may be unknown elsewhere (e.g. the names of English river fish).

Currently listed are terms used in Forme of Cury and Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books .

Index
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M
N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - Y - Z

D

dace : A freshwater fish of the carp family (Leuciscus leuciscus).

dace
Dace - Leuciscus leuciscus


damysyns (also: damsons) : Plums.

darioles (also: daryols) : Sweet custard tarts.

desire (also: blanc desire, dessorre, desne) : A thick soup made with poultry, rice, and milk.

dight (also: diting) : To carve. The term is used exclusively for game birds.

ditany (also: ditayn) : Dittany (Origanum dictamnus). Not to be confused with Cunila origanoides, which is a new-world plant.

ditany
Dittany - Origanum dictamnus


dokkes : Dough. A transcription error for "dowes".

dorry (also: dorryes, dorryle) : Endored. Made golden. (from French)

douce (also: douse, dowce) : Sweet. (from French)

Index
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M
N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - Y - Z