A poultry was the office in a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

household responsible for the purchase and preparation of

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

, as well as the room in which the poultry was stored.

What it was

It was headed by a poulter or poulterer (though this last term is more often for a merchant who deals in poultry). The office was subordinated to the

kitchen A kitchen is a room (architecture), room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a Kitchen stove, stove, a sink ...

, and only existed as a separate office in larger households. It was closely connected with other offices of the kitchen, such as the

larder A larder is a cool area for storing food prior to use. Originally, it was where raw meat was larded—covered in fat—to be preserved. This method slowed spoilage by sealing out air, bacteria, and moisture. In colder larders (4°C/40°F or lower) ...

and the

saucery A saucery was the office in a medieval household responsible for sauces, as well as the room in which the preparation of sauces took place. It was headed by a saucerer. The office was subordinated to the kitchen, and existed as a separate office on ...

Use today

This use of the word is largely obsolete today.

References

Medieval cuisine {{poultry-stub

What it was

Use today

See also

References