Natural Food Dyes
Cooks working for the upper class came up with clever ways to color food by using natural food dyes. Saffron and egg yolks were used to create bright yellow, sandalwood would be used to create red, and blood was boiled to create black. In Germany, columbine flowers were used to create blue coloring.
Bread Plates
Forks would not be introduced for a while, and so any food that could not be consumed with a spoon was served on a “trencher,” which was a piece of coarse and dry bread. They were basically pieces of hard and stale bread that was about 3 days old. The lower class who could not afford trenchers would often eat right off the table.