9 Ways To Eat Like A King, A Queen – Or An Emperor
Have you ever wanted to feel like a king, a queen, or an emperor?
Probably the closest you can get to anyone is by sharing an experience – how about sharing an experience with a legendary and historical monarch?
Few experiences involve all our senses as much as enjoying a fine meal and its many odors, textures, and flavors, especially if the food has an air of exclusivity and luxury.
Because of the economic development of the world in the last centuries, today anyone can enjoy the luxurious foods that used to be reserved for royalty. You will never get closer to feeling like one of these historical figures.
Read on to explore how you, too, can eat like a king, a queen, or an emperor.
9. Henry VIII and his birds
Henry VIII of England famously had six wives, but he also showed an unhealthy lack of restraint in his diet. Vegetables were not a part of the royal diet in those days, and the king would eat considerable amounts of bread and all kinds of meat every day. Fowl was particularly popular in the noble classes, and pheasant has always been a symbol of upper class food. Other members of society had little chance of obtaining the delicious fowl. To this day, the pheasant remains an exclusive game bird.
Price now: Whole male pheasant, 3.5 – 4 pounds: $69.99. Available in well-stocked supermarkets and specialty stores.
Exclusivity score: 6/10
Nutrition notes
Fowl give relatively healthy and lean meat, with lots of protein and vitamins. Game birds also contains saturated fat, which should not be eaten in great amounts.
Health score: 3/10
Royalty score: 9/20
8. The sweet tooth of the Sun King
Louis XIV of France, also known as the Sun King for his royal splendour, is the best example of an absolute monarch with spectacular habits. His taste for the good things in life contributed greatly to one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of luxuries. Louis made chocolate fashionable, first among the French nobility, then rapidly in every other royal house in Europe. We know where it ends, of course, as chocolate is one of the most universally loved luxury foods in the world. In Louis's day, cocoa beans and products were hard to come by and fiendishly expensive.
Price now: 1 bar Hershey's Special Dark: $2.49. Available in any supermarket and online.
Exclusivity score: 6/10
Nutrition notes
Cocoa by itself is full of antioxidants and has been linked to improved cardiovascular health. Chocolate has also been known to be an aphrodisiac. On the other hand, sugar is a major component of most chocolate products, and the fats in the chocolate can contribute to overweight.
Health score: 4/10
Royalty score: 10/20
7. Elizabeth I and the black gold
Henry's daughter, Elizabeth I, appears to have eaten modestly compared to her father. In those days, European traders were just opening up trade with Asia, and spices were among the new goods. Black pepper was by far the most important spice, and at the same time commanded exorbitant prices. Only royalty and nobility could enjoy food flavored with pepper, and Queen Elizabeth was among them. Seeing as her annual food bill was around £21,000, an outrageous sum in those days, it seems that she must have really liked the black spice.
Price now: Ground black pepper: $1.50 per ounce. Available in any convenience store.
Exclusivity score: 7/10
Nutrition notes
There are no known health problems associated with pepper. Because of the tiny amounts anyone can eat at a time, any major health benefits are also unknown and largely irrelevant.
Health score: 4/10
Royalty score: 11/20
6. Breath of the Pharaos
From the tombs of the ancient Egyptian pharaos, we know that bulbs of garlic were carefully put inside the burial chamber. The Pharaos needed someting to eat on his way to the heavens, after all. The Egyptians enjoyed a varied diet of meats, grain and vegetables, and garlic was probably a common food for both royalty and workers.
Price then: Unknown, but probably not particularly expensive. Unknown in many parts of the world.
Price now: Organic hardneck food garlic: $12.00 per pound. Available in supermarkets and online.
Exclusivity score: 2/10
Nutrition notes
Garlic is not only a grenade of flavor, it is also a little white health bomb. It may prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer, and it is a good source of antioxidants. Garlic has antibacterial properties, and before modern antibiotice were invented, it was successfully used against infections.
Health score: 10/10
Royalty score: 12/20
5. Caesar and his fungus
The old Romans liked eating well, and many outlandish dishes were composed in the kitchens of the Eternal City. One of the most sought after and expensive ingredient was the fungus we know as truffles. Only the very richest and the most powerful could afford this luxury. Without a doubt, both Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus enjoyed the rare treat of truffles, as did subsequent rulers of many nations. Throughout history, it has remained very rare and extremely expensive, but today it is affordable enough to try at least once.
Price now: Fresh black winter truffles: $400 to $600 per pound. Available in some specialty stores.
Exclusivity score: 10/10
Nutrition notes:
No particular health benefits or problems are known. Truffles contain vitamins, protein and fat. Truffles are usually only used in cooking in minute amounts, due to the high price of this delicacy.
Health score: 3/10
Royalty score: 13/20
4. The food of the Gods
According to legend, the ancient Greek gods consumed nectar and ambrosia. It is still unknown if they were actual foods or just some mythical and non-existent divine fare. Some researchers believe that ambrosia was a form of honey, which was the sweetest food the Greek knew about before the introduction of sugar. At any rate, honey has been eaten by emperors and kings throughout history, highly treasured for its subtlety, sweetness and luxury. And – who knows? - maybe Zeus and his compatriots enjoyed it too.
Price now: French lavender honey (13,2 oz): $13.90. Available in supermarkets and online.
Exclusivity score: 6/10
Nutrition notes
Honey is rich in carbohydrates, mainly fructose and glucose. These are sugars, but they have a mild effect on blood sugar. Honey is also known to contain antioxidants and vitamins, and it has antibacterial properties.
Health score: 8/10
Royalty score: 14/20
3. A fish fit for a queen
By all accounts, Queen Victoria had a modest diet, mainly consisting af typical British staples. But there can be little doubt that she, like a long line of kings and queens before and after her, enjoyed the delicacy of smoked salmon. After all, she liked spending time at her Scottish palace, Balmoral. In those days, the salmon was caught on lines or in nets stretched across streams, then laboriously smoked. The salmon was highly valued, not just because of its flavor, but because it was a true luxury. Today, of course, most salmon is farmed – but it's still the same fish.
Price now: Scottish Style Smoked Salmon, 1 lb: $29.95. Available in supermarkets.
Exclusivity score: 7/10
Nutrition notes
The salmon is a fine fish, also from a nutritional standpoint. It is rich in protein and healthy fats, as well as many minerals and vitamins. It is a good source of omega-3 fats.
Health score: 8/10
Royalty score: 15/20
2. The vegetable of Louis XIV
That Louie sure knew what he liked, and here he is again. Asparagus is forever linked with the magnificent Louis XIV of France, , Louis was a lover of asparagus, and arranged for greenhouses to be built around his palace to provide him with his favorite vegetable all year round. The asparagus is hard to grow, and it was rare in Europe in those days. Even today, asparagus is expensive compared to other vegetables.
Price now: Organic green asparagus: $10.99 per pound. Available everywhere, also online.
Exclusivity score: 7/10
Nutriton notes
Asparagus is a very healthy vegetable, and a good source of minerals and vitamins. It is very rich in antioxidants.
Health score: 10/10
Royalty score: 17/20
1. Drinking like the Emperor of China
For centuries, one variety of tea was strictly reserved for the Emperor of China and his very closest nobility: White tea. Nobody but the most powerful man in the world could get this very delicate variety of tea. White tea is tea leaves that are picked very early in the spring, while the leaves are still buds covered with fine, white down. The tea is hand picked during a period of less than a week. The resulting tea is subtle, fresh and sweet – and extremely delicate.
Price then: Priceless and unobtainable. Only the Emperor of China and the nobility closest to him had access to it.
Price now: Still rare and exclusive, white tea commands prices of up to $8 per ounce for the finest quality Silver Needle. White tea of the White Peony variety is more reasonably priced and costs $2.50 per ounce. Both are available from Adagio Teas.
Exclusivity score: 10/10
Nutrition notes
White tea contains no calories, much less caffeine than other teas or coffee, and abundant amounts of the healthy antioxidants called catechins. White tea contains up to three times as much antioxidants as green tea. The antioxidants in white tea have been linked with preventing many diseases, including heart disease and cancer, and even aging.
Health score: 10/10