Among the many rich details of Shakespeare’s plays are numerous mentions of food and drink, whether in abundance at royal feasts, sought after at moments of great hunger, or serving as signature elements of joy, companionship, and pleasure—the “cakes and ale” that Sir Toby Belch calls on in Twelfth Night when he responds to Malvolio: “Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?” Take our quiz about the tasty items, reviving drinks, and other consumables in the plays, including a few thoughts on food and drink from some of Shakespeare’s better known characters.
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From hearty meals to hunger, fine dining to common fare, and servants who did the work of creating banquets to a growing global trade, the story of food and drink in Shakespeare’s world is an expansive one. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at our Before “Farm to Table” website. Be sure not to miss the adapted early modern recipes, many drawn from the Folger’s collection of handwritten recipe books from early modern Britain, the largest in the world.
And if you visit the Folger, you may also enjoy some food and drink adventures of your own at the Quill & Crumb café in the Folger’s historic Great Hall.
Keep exploring
Shakespeare's Kitchen with Francine Segan
Food historian Francine Segan shares how and what the Elizabethans ate, with their different kitchens, diet, food preparation, and especially, the way food was served. She tells listeners how to make a savory recipe for a salmon pie adapted from the 1600s.
12 Shakespeare quotes about food and drink
We rummage through the pantry of Shakespeare’s plays for quotations about food and drink.
Fat Rascals: In the Kitchen with John Tufts
After playing Hal in Henry IV, Part 1 at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, actor John Tufts wrote a cookbook, Fat Rascals: Dining at Shakespeare’s Table. He shares how to make a pork pasty inspired by Titus Andronicus and the 17th-century chef Robert May.
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