Vikings were warrior people who led lives of rigorous activity. In addition to warfare and combat, Vikings were landowners and farmers.
They originally lived in Scandinavia where the climate was harsh and the topography challenges.
So Vikings consumed nutrition-heavy foods which enabled them to perform rigorous everyday tasks. Vikings consumed a variety of meats, grains, fruits, and nuts.
For sweetening, they used honey. They also drank a variety of drinks including ale and mead.
The Viking breakfast was known as ‘dagmal’. This was the first meal of the day. Vikings took dagmal two to three hours after waking up. They would first perform a number of chores and then have their breakfast.
Dagmal usually comprised of the leftovers from the previous night. Bread, fruits, porridge, and honey were commonly consumed at breakfast. Buttermilk was often consumed at breakfast or later in the day.
The second meal of the day eaten by the Vikings was the ‘nattmal’. This meal was typically eaten between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Meat of different types and in different forms was frequently consumed in nattmal.
The Vikings would eat meat stew, consume fish, or have meat cooked over a fire. They would also eat dry fruits, bread, and ale mead as a part of the nattmal.
During feast nights Viking families gathered in a longhouse or another spacious place. Horses were frequently sacrificed to the gods at the times of feasts. Horses were considered the best meat for any feast or occasion.
Vikings would slaughter horses and roast them like kebabs and in many other forms. On their traditional feasts, they also roasted lamb and salted fish along with pork and goat meats.
There would be plenty of fresh-baked bread. For sweet, they ate fruits and honey. At the end of the meal, mead and beer would be drunk which is crafted by the men, a beverage made from honey.
Mead
Many different types of tools were used in the preparation of Viking food. Surprisingly, those tools were very similar to the tools of today. The meat was slaughtered and made by the men of the house while cooking was done by the females of the house.
Pots that were used to cook food were mostly made of iron and clay. Spoons, plates, and forks were made from wood. There was a hearth for cooking in every house. The spices were also homemade and mostly grown on the farms.
Vikings ate a very healthy and high-calorie food which kept them healthy and robust for physical activity. Food was plentiful in the summers, so they also preserved it for winters.
Meat, fish, and fowl were dried, salted, and stored in different ways. Flour from ground barley and wheat was also stashed away for the winter months.
