Breaking Bread with the Vikings - An Academy of Taste Webinar

What kept the Vikings going during hard times?

In a world filled with uncertainty and worries about tomorrow, you may wonder what’s the point in thinking about who came before us, how they lived and died, or what they ate. The future is where we’re headed, why bother considering the ways of our ancestors, right?

I disagree. Apart from the debt we owe to our predecessors for helping us to be here now, we also can find comfort and knowledge about them and ourselves by exploring their/our traditions, their wisdom, their resilience in the face of hardships, their creativity, and the stories they have left behind.

We can read their tales and admire their art, but why stop there? Let’s explore their music, festivals, and even eat their food! We can bring them back to life, if just for a moment, to celebrate their diversity, creativity, and humanity. Reconnecting with our ancient origins is a great source of comfort, strength, and perhaps even amusement! They were us, so when we learn from their achievements and mistakes, we also learn about ourselves.

So, what does all of this have to do with food? Well, in many ways, both literally and culturally, food keeps us going. It’s what sustains us and unites us. All of life’s biggest events tend to happen with food somewhere in the picture. We have special meals for special days, indulgences to comfort us on dark nights, and little treats we give each other as tokens of affection.

For this webinar, we’re going to break bread with the Vikings and discover what the ancient Norse men and women shared around their hearths. I’m going to whip up one of the most popular foods in many cultures – bread – and you’re welcome to join me in the fun. If you’d like to try your hand as Viking chef in training, you’re going to need a few things: flour (wheat, oat, barley, rye…whatever’s available), milk, honey, an egg, salt, possibly some nuts, and an interest in learning a little more about what was on a Viking menu!

Food brings people together…no matter the time our space between us.

Alicia McDermott is a researcher, editor, and writer at Ancient Origins. She has degrees in Anthropology, International Development Studies, and Psychology, and sees herself as a lifelong learner with an open mind.

Alicia has worked in various fields such as education, tourism, and anthropology. Traveling throughout Bolivia and Peru, as well as all-over Ecuador, Alicia has increased her knowledge of Pre-Colombian sites as well as learning more about modern Andean cultures and fine-tuning her Spanish skills. Alicia has had a passion for writing since she was a child and apart from creative writing, she has written various essays about Latin American social issues and archaeological sites.