What Medieval Junk Food Was Like

and hitting the drive-thru for a greasy cheeseburger

seemed like modern institutions.

But the world's love affair with junk food

is a tale as old as time.

A lot of what would become the fast food industry

began in medieval Europe where people satisfy their junk food

cravings with some interesting cuisine.

But nights weren't exactly galloping the horses

through the drive-thru or grabbing candy bars

on their way to the castle.

Instead, medieval fast food catered

to travelers and the poor, and it wasn't always tasty.

Today in Weird History, we're taking a look

at what junk food was like in the middle ages.

But before we get started, be sure to subscribe

to the Weird History channel.

And while you're there, leave a comment and let us know what

other historical food topics you would like to hear about next.

OK.

Time to get medieval on those cool ranch Doritos.

London is a city known for its major landmarks

and for being a hub of British culture,

as well as being the place where Harry potter was

hatched in Big Ben by owls.

During the middle ages, London was

a center of trade and commerce.

But poverty throughout Europe was high.

So for many Londoners, it was an easy convenient, or even

possible, to cook at home.

Cooking equipment and fuel weren't exactly cheap.

On top of that, the poor were packed

into tenement housing that often didn't have any furnishings,

let alone a hearth.

Without a hearth, cooking was essentially

an unsalable mountain unless you wanted

to fill your home with smoke amiss burning or already meager

dwellings to the ground.

So people visited cook shops instead,

the old timey equivalent of picking up some takeout.