Thursday, April 19, 2012

At the Queen's Table

What were Marie-Antoinette's favorite foods? She was not constantly gorging herself on sweets as depicted in some films. On the contrary, she was quite abstemious and enjoyed good, plain food, as Anna describes in a post. To quote:
Privately, Marie Antoinette preferred foods which were much less extravagent than the court meals served at the grand couvert. She enjoyed meals of boiled or roasted white meat, especially chicken or fowl, accompanied by cooked vegetables. She was also fond of broths and simpler soups. She did not drink alcohol with much frequency, if at all, and preferred lemonade or water imported from Ville d’Avray for its purity. She also liked to dip small biscuits in her water or lemonade. She sometimes drank cow or donkey’s milk, especially for health purposes.

On the sweeter side, Marie Antoinette loved chocolate. Chocolate in the 18th century was primarily consumed in liquid form and would be quite thick, much thicker than the typical popular “hot cocoa” drink that is sold in stores today. Marie Antoinette especially liked chocolate which was fused with her favorite flavors, such as sweet almond, vanilla and orange blossom.

Marie Antoinette’s favorite foods, like simple meat dishes and morning hot chocolate, probably aren’t fun to sample as mountains of macarons and towers of champagne, but here are some suggestions for getting a taste of some of Marie Antoinette’s favorite meals:

Enjoy a private “Marie Antoinette” inspired dinner by complimenting some roasted white chicken meat with chicken broth, biscuits, and sweet lemonade. If you’re in a more “Trianon” mood, try a snack of fresh cow’s milk and fresh cheese. (Read entire post.)
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