Beans Were A Game-Changer
Italian medievalist Umberto Eco explained that the “cultivation of legumes began to spread” during the 10th century, and it really changed everything. He said: “Working people were able to eat more protein; as a result, they became more robust, lived longer, created more children and repopulated a continent.” That led to the doubling of the European population.
Baking Was Serious Business
Baking and consuming bread was critically important, so much so that baking guilds became very powerful. These were somewhat of a cross between a union and the mafia. Bakers who were part of a guild paid dues that served as a kind of insurance. Family recipes were fiercely guarded by the guilds in order to prevent stolen family recipes.