Lavish feasts and grand receptions, or perhaps modest dinners? At royal courts, food was extremely important, and cooks had their hands full of work. Each ruler could have different culinary preferences, but one thing is certain – a table full of delicacies was a symbol of wealth, status, and hospitality. How did people feast and what did they eat at the royal court in bygone ages?
At a Feast in the State of the First Piasts
The oldest Polish chronicler, Anonymous known as Gallus, wrote very extensively about royal feasts, dietary customs, and specific products that appeared on Polish tables. He described Poland as a land of prosperity where nothing was lacking. He emphasized the role of golden tableware and receptions that abounded in meat, fish, bread, and honey.
For Bolesław the Brave, receptions and good food were extremely important. His cooks could not complain of boredom. The Congress of Gniezno (1000) was a three-day feast organized by the duke. The tables were full of various dishes and groaned under their weight. Ordinary daily meals did not differ in magnificence from grand receptions at all. The ruler ordered many tables to be set, and the meats were extremely diverse. The royal court employed people responsible for hunting birds and larger game.
During the Congress of Gniezno, Bolesław the Brave strove at all costs to demonstrate his generosity and wealth to Emperor Otto III, who had come to Poland. According to Gallus, the future king, immediately after the end of the ceremonial banquet, „ordered the cupbearers and stewards to collect from all the tables from the three days the gold and silver vessels […] and offered them to the emperor to honor him […] And in addition he gave him many other gifts […] ornaments of a kind never seen before and precious stones; and he offered so much of all this that the emperor considered so many gifts a miracle.”
From 1039, the main royal residence was located in Krakow. In those times, people consumed not only various types of meat, but also vegetables and fruits. The most commonly grown were cherries, carrots, sweet cherries, figs, and plums. The dominant grains were rye, oats, barley, and millet. In case of health problems, people used nature’s bounties such as poppy, chamomile, or hops.
Feasts of Casimir the Great
Casimir the Great was remembered as a prudent ruler, but also extravagant and fond of good eating. These traits could only lead to one thing – grand and lavish receptions. Casimir’s favorite dish was buckwheat groats with egg white.
The most famous feast involving Casimir the Great took place in the second half of September 1364 during the congress in Krakow, which was attended by many crowned heads and prominent guests from various parts of Europe. At the end of this congress, the famous feast at Wierzynek’s took place. It went down in history, showcasing the enormous wealth of Polish cuisine.
The aforementioned feast was organized with great splendor and pomp. Beer and wine flowed in broad streams. Various kinds of dishes were also served at every turn. According to the chronicler Guillaume de Machaut, the guests were treated to an abundance of bread, wine, poultry, fish, and meat. These dishes were prepared by royal cooks who had a great opportunity to show off. After all, Poland under Casimir the Great had never before seen so many prominent guests gathered in one place.
According to tradition, the Krakow burgher Mikołaj Wierzynek, inviting distinguished guests to his place, assigned them places at the table. He gave the most important place to Casimir the Great, at whose side he seated Emperor Charles IV and the Hungarian King Louis of Anjou. Upon leaving, each of the monarchs received gifts from Mikołaj. The King of Poland himself was said to have received an unspecified object worth 100,000 florins. This was quite a sum at that time.
The feast at Mikołaj Wierzynek’s was a meeting of great importance for the then ruler of Poland, who could boast to his guests that he governed a land „flowing with milk and honey.”
Great Appetite and Fear of Poisoning
What was the greatest fear of former monarchs? Poisoning, of course. For this very reason, numerous procedures were introduced to protect them from death.
Various things were used to test and counteract poisons in dishes. It was believed that shark teeth, porcelain, and dragon tongues were effective antidotes. A commonly used poison was arsenic, which had no color or taste. It was added to alcohol or food, and the poisoned king died in agony over many days.
Feasts in the 17th century had a much more elaborate setting. The emphasis was on splendor, and dishes had to be perfectly refined. To this end, all dishes had to be tested before the king, and then their exact composition and taste were presented to him. Władysław IV very much disliked this process because the food he received was usually cold.
Mastery of Modern-Era Feasts
Organizing feasts at the court of elected kings involved enormous expenses. King Sigismund III Vasa sometimes had to take out loans to feed himself, his immediate family, and the numerous retinue accompanying him.
As experts on the subject emphasize, feasts at the royal court were always carefully prepared. The king as host occupied a place of honor, over which a magnificent canopy was spread. The tables were covered with several tablecloths, which were regularly removed together with empty dishes.
At each plate there were various types of cutlery, including glasses, goblets, knives, spoons, and, what deserves attention here, two napkins. One of them was used to wipe one’s mouth, while the other was hung under the chin. Napkins were sewn to the tablecloth for fear that someone might steal them!
Outside observers usually spoke favorably about the feasts organized by Polish monarchs. However, drunkenness and excesses involving tipsy revelers were criticized.
Selected Bibliography
- Strzelczyk J., Zjazd gnieźnieński, Poznań 2000.
- Wyrozumski J., Kazimierz Wielki, Wrocław 2004.
Autor
Rory Thornfield
Rory's grandfather left behind a wartime diary filled with accounts of a minor Burma skirmish that history books never mentioned. Reading it, Rory realized: behind every famous battle are dozens of forgotten struggles, each with its own human drama.
His preferred topics: The overlooked corners of military history – secondary campaigns, shadow battalions, local conflicts that never made headlines. From medieval sieges to twentieth-century expeditions, he focuses on the soldiers, not the generals. The people who faced impossible choices and carried those experiences forever.
Rory strips away the romanticism without losing respect for those who served. He combines tactical analysis with personal stories, examining human endurance and moral complexity rather than celebrating warfare. His writing is balanced, thoughtful, and deeply researched.
Outside work, Rory visits forgotten battlefields (now quiet farmland), photographs war memorials nobody tends anymore, and interviews veterans' families.