Food and drink

Shakespeare’s poems and plays record the pleasures and perils of the table. In Shakespeare in the Kitchen, Marissa Nicosia explores what Shakespeare’s works can tell us about Renaissance recipes, and what these recipes can tell us about Shakespeare’s works.

What did people eat in Shakespeare’s England? In Much Ado About Cooking, food historian Sam Bilton uncovers the surprising world of early modern cuisine, a delicious world shaped by global trade, humoral medicine, and delight in spectacle.

Food historian Sam Bilton thinks the savory, meat-filled mince pie is due for a comeback. She shares her recipe from Much Ado About Cooking, produced with Shakespeare’s Globe, for mince pies made with lamb and spiced with cloves and mace.

From sweet potatoes to ale, try our quiz on eating and drinking in Shakespere’s plays.

Looking for inspiration for your holiday table? Look no further than the Folger’s adaptations of recipes in our collection—from early modern stuffing to sweet potato pudding to pumpkin pie, even mini-turkey pies!

Culinary historian Michael W. Twitty shares the extraordinary history of rice across the world resulting in horchata, a deeply personal drink for him.

Learn about the rich history of foraging and the many pleasures and benefits of gathering and eating plants like dandelion, elderberry, mushrooms, and many others.

Three Taylor Swift-themed cocktails inspired by seventeenth- and eighteenth-century recipes from our collection.

Get into the festive spirit with this warming holiday beverage from DCanter.

We rummage through the pantry of Shakespeare’s plays for quotations about food and drink.

Learn more about—and how to make!—the four cocktails featured at Folger Institute’s upcoming Mixology event.

The Folger Institute has partnered with two DC mixologists to bring you cocktail and mocktail recipes featuring the key memory-enhancing ingredient from Mrs. Baker’s recipe book: coriander.