What Viking Diets Were Really Like

Though Vikings are known for pillaging the coasts of Europe, Viking facts reveal that the marauders were more than just bearded warriors filled with blood-thirsty rage. Analysis of what Vikings ate shows that the ancient Norse people had surprisingly modern appetites. The Viking diet went beyond slabs of meat and tankards of mead to include a healthy balance of vegetables and breakfast staples like yogurt.
The perception of Vikings as crude, dirty troublemakers doesn't match up with the refined nature of their meals. Viking cuisine incorporated a range of food and drink options, creating the balanced diet that made Viking men such notorious bruisers.
#Vikings #FoodHistory #WeirdHistory

[@Darkflowerchyld718]

I think this is the first historical diet I can actually picture myself not only eating but actually enjoying. Thanks for the video!

[@driddick7361]

Make sure to cook the meat well! XD

[@vx8431]

Skyr is great, almost all kinds of preserved herring is great and I enjoy traditional mixed grain bread more than white one even more so if I can get some smoked and salted fish roe to top it with.

[@Stetch42]

@@vx8431 Totally agree. Something I enjoy as often I can

[@vx8431]

@@Stetch42 The sad thing is that the best kinds of herring in Sweden is only available around christmas, midsummer and easter.

[@notinservice3724]

me to, am thinking slow cooking stews and hot pots

[@Liliththelizard]

As an Icelander I'm impressed by your pronounciation of Víkingar. Also, a lot of the old fashion food is still eaten commonly, but simply cooked in more modern and safe ways.

[@Kari.F.]

I'm Norwegian, and I was thinking the same thing. This diet is familiar to modern Scandinavians, only we cook it by modern methods.

[@tristintaylor7999]

Could I get a small list of vegetables along with most common meats? This diet may actually help my weight and intestinal issues.

[@jacobmccarthy1402]

I don't think that's actually him saying the word. Sounds like the google translate voice.

[@jonathantan2469]

Especially skyr

[@artspectrum2421]

Same in Latvia as I was growing up. The nordic tribes treat good with more respect.

[@TD-ug4mg]

I'm willing to bet the multigrain nut bread soaked in a custard and pan fried topped with that dried fruit and honey would be something truly special

[@jackdunnan9849]

French toast topped with berries??

[@TD-ug4mg]

@@jackdunnan9849 in essence yes, but the bread would be far grainier than we are used to now.

[@paulpower5028]

@@TD-ug4mg in germany this type of bread is normal. you can top it with everything like white bread

[@morganpetros9635]

Sounds like it would send me directly into a diabetic coma ... ;-)

[@dylanlandry4996]

@Miles Doyle thats alot to read what has this to do with a lovely french toast topped with fresh fruits? 😂😂

[@archangel5627]

I’m not surprised that the average Viking not only ate well but also had a very balanced diet. Eating fish, wild game, farmed chicken, eggs, and a whole plethora of milks from goats, and cows most definitely helped them grow to be strong. Every great and just military leader recognized the importance of feeding there soldiers well and the Vikings were no different.

[@kuzzbillington6392]

All norse ate this way, and most nordic still do today... with modern additions and variations ofcourse. It was hardly about "military" leaders being wise, but rather how people ate on daily basis. So, ofcourse it was natural for them to apply this diet as viking raiders too. Dont forget... most norse were just common people, living regular lives.

[@jordanbryant7642]

Paleo diet. Most boxers use the same diet.

[@oranges557]

its the meat. it was ALWAYS the meat. forget their fruits and their vegetables. the reason why vikingers were so strong, tall and robust is the meat. as soon as a society starts eating alot of meat, they tend to be taller, stronger and healthier. especially fatty red meat. but fish, eggs and milk are also really good.

[@molamola1000]

What about the importance of good spelling?

[@EroticOnion23]

Wasn't the average height of a Viking like 5'7 (1.68m)?? 🤔

[@nickd3157]

Nobody gives the Vikings credit for hardly anything at all. They pioneered many things, were master ship builders, excellent warriors, discovered America, and standardized many practices that still remain in place today.

[@LevaISanningen]

They get credits for everything. And the word Viking is same as being best at everything. And everybody want to know about them and be them. Not enough for you?

[@nia.d3356]

Purely due to modern media and pop culture depictions. Anyone who is even slighlty intrested in history knows they were a much richer culture than simply mighty barbarian warriors. Although i doubt the vikings would much mind that their legendary battle prowess overshadows all other aspects of their culture in the futures memory of their present.

[@nickd3157]

@@nia.d3356 amen. They were a well rounded culture over all. Even furthering nordic practices like jury trials and other law practices. But your correct they are always associated with their prowess in battle. Very interesting stuff if you like history, i could read about them all day

[@romella_karmey]

Just watched and finished Vikings tv series last month. It was amazing.

[@22vampyre]

Actually, they get a bit too much credit….

[@beaverbeaver526]

As a swede, I'm actually impressed with the narrator's pronunciation of "vikingar", well done! :D

[@Linnzy]

As another Swede I agree.

[@cammyseitz3062]

As someone who has never been to Sweden, I will read and scroll on

[@hadesunderworld4203]

Aaah Sweden . Beautiful . My and my wife have thought many times of moving to Sweden to start a different life . Being Canadian just felt too far to go … wouldn’t be able to see our families much and we are very family oriented . Sweden was our choice though . We were even looking at courses to learn the language . Who knows what the future holds

[@icecoldchilipreppers]

indeed

[@stephenpemberton85]

He's a Pro

[@smokerxluffy]

I suspect the poison was to counteract the parasites. A custom most modern people have forgotten thanks to higher food production standards.

[@jannetteberends8730]

Like Tansy. (Tanacetum vulgare) helps against worms, including tapeworms.

[@underated17]

Don't people still eat tartare and rare steak and do not get sick?

[@keponen331]

@@underated17 every food animal is inspected by a vet before you eat it today, so you wont get sick. they didnt have that

[@kazzysenpai5906]

Are we just gonna gloss over the fact that when mentioning that they hunted seal the first image they showed was the singer, Seal, Well played guys

[@IRosamelia]

LOL

[@Onteo1]

And didn’t do the same with the walrus! The song says the walrus was Paul. 🤣

[@missplumtree958]

😂

[@oscarsantarosa1720]

Thank you for realizing

[@sandyworkman3025]

Well played, indeed.

[@beerussama7093]

It always fascinates me how people way back then developed methods to preserving foods.

[@thevikingwarrior]

We have done this since being in caves. But if your not convinced, you can always try biting a chunk out of a cows arse, while it is still alive.

[@erikpatricksson3348]

You'd get pretty resourceful too if there was no electronics or supermarkets lol

[@hjerte20]

still eat almost the same here in Norway, and most of us still collects and preserve food for later, like nuts, fruit and berries. and homemade multigrain bread is the best.

[@alexcontreras6103]

minus the potatoes in the stew and diet

[@mkdt6732]

Interesting

[@TheMilkMan8008]

Same in Iceland. We still eat practically everything because our ancestors couldn't afford to waste anything when the Norse traveled here. Limited resources were precious. Recipes using everything were passed down and are still enjoyed today. Boiled sheeps head, fermented rams testicle, fish stomach, sheeps blood and innards. I love Þorramatur. Þorri is the best time of the year next to Christmas strictly because I love Malt og Appelsín.

[@TheMilkMan8008]

@Ham Burger walnuts, hazel nuts, apples, plums, raspberries, bilberries, lingonberries, cranberries, cloudberries, juniper berries, strawberries, cherries, pears. Most of the native fruits are berries as you might have noticed.

[@alexcontreras6103]

@@TheMilkMan8008 I guess it depends cause what most know as cranberries are the North American species and the common big strawberries are a hybrid of a North American and South American species as the native ones to Europe are small and produce little but have good flavor.

[@ArticBlueFox96]

Now I want an eatery that specializes in Viking food.

[@joshuareynolds6881]

same

[@yasashii89]

They have a viking era restaurant in Stockholm.

[@ArticBlueFox96]

@@yasashii89 But I live closer to the D.C. Metro Area, not Stockholm. ):

[@notinservice3724]

@@ArticBlueFox96 a good Chinese hot pot is not to far off, slow cooked stews also

[@resorband]

@@ArticBlueFox96 Then go to Sweden

[@rofyle]

Viking diets were surprisingly well rounded Icelandic Viking: hold my fermented shark

[@cincin4515]

Yes. Which Viking was he referring to here?

[@practicalpen1990]

Even more rounded! Fermented foods are great for the gut.

[@irighterotica]

A well balanced diet makes for healthy, powerful warriors-small wonder they became such a dominant force.

[@teijaflink2226]

First I was surprised that they had such an advanced diet but that makes sence.

[@irighterotica]

@@teijaflink2226 The math adds up doesn't it? Especially when you consider (as the video says) the restrictive diets in surrounding areas, which were mostly grain-based. Meat came in small servings or between intervals (maybe 1 day a week), far from being a 'regular' meal. At least, that's how it was among the lower class/es, which naturally made up the bulk of any army. I guess the availability could vary when taking rations into account, but those could vary quite a bit even between different units of the same army, so I am generalizing. Anyway, it's all so fascinating to learn and think about, isn't it? Well for some of us anyway. (Edited to add clarity)

[@VredesStall]

Especially with all that whey they got from their cow's and goat's milk. Combine the milk-whey they were drinking with the ample amounts of fish and various foal eggs, meats and garden vegtables... and the Vikings were eating pretty darn good.

[@jsgwam]

@@VredesStall vikings were based

[@retts75]

It's actually one of the main reasons they were seen as giants. Because they grew up bigger with a well rounded, full of protein diets, so average height was closer to 5ft 10 and well built, rather than the 5ft 6-7 Englishman who, without the same proteins, never gained the same bulk

[@thunderbird1921]

The best armies in the world were the best fed, in addition to best trained, and for good reason.

[@lordfabulous6198]

Even the mongols?

[@irighterotica]

Aye. Another thing in their favor was their mobility. They could, and often did, turn up in places their enemies (victims maybe?) didn't expect, like rivers or lakes-courtesy of their lightweight, maneuverable ships.

[@rogerdargartz1864]

"An army marches on its stomach." - Napoleon

[@RivetGardener]

Oh Yes. Even the Mongols. And don't forget the 82nd Airborne Division.

[@khanhnguyen-tt3ff]

@@RivetGardener dude the mongol got one of the most unhealthy diet.

[@jontyc3479]

Fresh vegetables were rare of in Norway in the winter up to modern times. I joined the Norwegian Merchant Marine in 1962 aged 16 and every meal in the winter in Northern climes, jam was the veggie substitute. Boiled meats or fish with boiled potatoes and jam was a very monotonous diet, one I never forgot. I joined as my wages were higher than in the English Merchant Navy and tax-free as well. Great times great adventures especially in North America and Canada, the West Indies and South America the routes I mainly plied.

[@norwegianboyee]

Yeah the old diet here is essentially some form of meat with potatoes and jam. Maybe some fermented cabbage too.

[@adamjenks9613]

Love.the little “Seal” joke snuck in there. Very well played, Weird History. 👍🏻

[@user-kf1jk7et4l]

it was crazy lol

[@linaa.l.s1902]

Twice 😂

[@jnzupka]

How to ACTUALLY eat like a Viking. Go outside, Till the fields, Plant the seeds and grow them, Harvest them. Enjoy Since most Scandinavians were farmers. And damn successful ones

[@magivkmeister6166]

Not just wheat, they had a very balanced diet, with fish and meat as well. This is also part of the reason why Northern Europeans are so tall

[@jnzupka]

@@magivkmeister6166 I didn’t say just wheat

[@lara7224]

@@magivkmeister6166 wow I never knew that was why

[@rinotilde2699]

There's a chain of buffet restaurants in my country called Vikings. Haha I'll just go there to eat like a Viking. 🤭

[@gohawks3571]

I wish I could absorb this knowledge!

[@lazylapras]

The picture of Seal really got me lol 😂

[@mariogalic1092]

Killed me 😂😂😂

[@ashlynncopeland4409]

I thought I was the only one who noticed 😂

[@sarahcortez5334]

Who was that?

[@charmaineyoti544]

came to the comments to see if anyone else noticed this...LOL

[@deboralee1623]

me, reading the comments before seeing the pic: oh, okay. me, forgetting the comments, then remembering them as i saw the pic: !good one!

[@paulapires4848]

A traditional dish in Liverpool is a stew called “Scouse”. A nickname for someone from Liverpool is “Scouser”.

[@jimfrodsham7938]

And in Germany they have Labskaus

[@John77Doe]

I thought Liverpool was on the West Coast away from the areas settled by Vikings. 😁😁😁

[@jimfrodsham7938]

@@John77Doe I was told it was brought in by sailors John.

[@John77Doe]

@@jimfrodsham7938 And the sailors were using a corruption of the Nordic word for stew from the Dane Law regions. 😐😐😐

[@jimfrodsham7938]

@@John77Doe yes, very probably 👍

[@daphne8406]

Much of these dishes (skyr, lapskaus, tørrfisk) are still regularly eaten here in Norway ☺️ mmm lapskaus 😋

[@stinkygecko1167]

Ahhh my grandma taught me to make her version of lapskaus and I love it!!! We make it with canned corned beef(we're both stretched for money so that's what we've always used for the meat), potatoes, and carrots and some seasonings I can't recall at the moment. I like to make it when my stomach is upset or if it's a special occasions with family...is this similar to what you eat home i Norway.

[@kristiansundsfjord4095]

@@stinkygecko1167 yes, but we also have kohlrabi, and 1 onion (if its a big casserolle, which it should be.) As Meat we use lamb or just thick smoked sausage. Only spices used are salt and pepper, alltough you would also have some beef stock in fore more flavour. :) If you use sausage you add it at the end just before you add the potatoflour for texture

[@gaywizard2000]

How are everyone's cholesterol levels?

[@livingbauer315]

Would love to see Edwardian or Victorian Traditions such as for Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.

[@MoejiiOsmanTV]

I think the Santa clause mythology was created during the Victorian era

[@ericamerica89]

Check out Absolute History; they have actual historians run a Victorian farm. Super fascinating!

[@livingbauer315]

@@ericamerica89 YES! I’m subscribed to them too! Love them!

[@gaywizard2000]

My grandmother was of this era, it's a lot of really overcooked vegetables, dry turkey cooked in a coal stove for 8 hours, and gravy. The only spices salt, pepper and sage for turkey. It's nostalgic for me, maybe a horror for a 25 year old of today!

[@jodiwanderfull6562]

Lol SEAL i saw what you did there 😂

[@CelestialBeauty04]

Me, who is Norwegian being really impressed of how well you said those Norwegian word 🥰 I love all your content, keep up the good work😁👍🏻

[@cobra4640]

In our times, it is the quality of food and its nutritional value that makes the difference. Most foods are processed, genetically modified, antibiotics are used and a lot of coloring and preservatives are added. Food is your medicine and most pharmaceutical companies know that. Keep healthy

[@DocLeQuack]

Congratulations food has been genetically modified since Gregor Mendel in the 19th century.

[@adriankenel3004]

Well the variety actually matters a great deal. Your body needs different Fats, Proteins and Carbohydrates also vitamins and minerals are of the essence. If you only eat chicken for example youre getting enough protein in theory but cant absorb a lot of it because you lack some aminoacids.

[@cobra4640]

@@adriankenel3004 I meant to say that we have amazing varieties of food now these days. Our ancestors wouldn't ever imagine. We eat avocados from Mexico and oceanic fish from Chile. We have great variety of foods from all continents. However, the quailing of those food have much lower nutritional value and in some cases are harmful to our bodies. They are sprayed with pesticides; herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Meats are heavily processed and animals are given antibiotics and growth hormones. Many meat manufacturers actually inject the food with carbon monoxide to give it that fresh, reddish-pink look. Processed sugar, heavy salts, hydrogenated vegetable and soybean oils.... I am just scratching the surface of food industry's around the globe. Who do you think were more healthy us or them ? We have modern day sicknesses/ diseases such as diabetes, heart attacks, cancer, high blood pressure.... mostly due to our food. Food is medicine and a building block of our physical existence and we have ruined it. We are created food that is not nourishing but addictive.

[@adriankenel3004]

@@cobra4640 I agree with a lot of what you are saying here. I am in now way a nutritinal scientist but I think the modern day diet is actually a lot better than it was throughout most of the past, vikings included. Of course this varies from person to person. One of the biggest flaws of modern diet I actually see in to much sugar on not enough other nutrients. However we live in a day and age where we actually produce 20% more food than is needed by our whole population, of course its not well distributed which leads to hunger in about 10% of the population but this has never before been achieved in the history of mankind. That alone is pretty insane to me. Most processed foods are inferior to non processed foods but not all of them. And if you live in a first world country you actually have the best options to eat healthy food compared to other times in human history. Where I live here in switzerland where a lot of people can afford good quality food people are generally pretty healthy. As of cancer and heart attacks. These are more likely to happen when you get older even if one lives a healthy life. Despite what a lot of people think about the flaws of our time it is actually the best time ever to be alive.

[@cobra4640]

@@adriankenel3004 Health is a conscious individual responsibility now these days. I am in U.S and I ll give you few statistics to prove my point. Each year, nearly 900,000 Americans die prematurely from the five leading causes of death, yet 20 percent to 40 percent of the deaths from each cause could be prevented. The chronic disease burden in the USA largely results from a short list of risk factors including tobacco use, poor diet and physical inactivity (both strongly associated with obesity). Excessive alcohol consumption, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. Evidence on the role of dairy, alcohol, and caffeine, saturated fats, and sugar have been associated with poorer fertility outcomes in both women and men. Also, we have to take under consideration one's income. Most people do not have access to healthy food or even water. We have polluted enough of our planet that regions where food is uncontaminated is getting smaller and smaller. Food industry has developed "hormonal techniques " to increase meat production and various other products Switzerland is a relatively small country with 8.8 million of people. Has one of the highest GDP PPP in the world ( not a precise example of healthy food access around the world). Nearly half of the world lives on less than $5.50 a day. Now compare that to an ancient times were wealth and access to food/ water was more equally distributed. Wouldn't you agree ?

[@sandeshpaudel9665]

its insane to think that most cultures didn't know boiling water would make it safer and drank beer instead, while they cooked and made stew all the time

[@TonyTynebridge]

Maybe it was just an excused to get pissed all the time 😂😁

[@jannetteberends8730]

Yes, never thought about that.

[@nolesy34]

Mum i want regular water We have regular water at home The water at home 🍺

[@tylersoto7465]

Probably a excuse to drink lol

[@dovahkiin4087]

its not, you'll lose all the electrolytes

[@ONLYGOODleftistisaDEADleftist]

I would enjoy seeing a video of the dietary habits of Bedouin, Arabic-speaking nomadic peoples of the Middle Eastern deserts, especially of the Arabian Peninsula.

[@vanessaissa3577]

My grandmother was a Bedouin ❤️

[@MaximusCensorius]

That would be super interesting, I agree!

[@AzraelAngel945]

I would assume that Bedouins would eat lots of Date fruits, as those are commonly grown around oases

[@childrensfairytalescandinavia]

Hi my dear friend. I’M here because My mother can't work now because she had uterine cancer surgery. My father and mother are divorced and my father does not pay alimony us. Thats why, I have to take care of my mother and sister .You may think I'm a bot, but I'm not.I try to get my voice heard to people through comments. So, can you help me as my follower on here ? Thank you so much...

[@gaywizard2000]

It's probably falafel.

[@JoyJoyforeverr]

So fascinating, my family immigrated from Nigeria and Stock Fish is a major staple in our culture and I have no idea that came from the Vikings! 😧

[@JoyJoyforeverr]

Side note- Stock Fish is weird and very smelly but tasty if you add it to soups and stews where it softens up and becomes edible. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Vikings ate them in their tough, uber dry state but it’s not pleasant at all

[@nakenmil]

@@JoyJoyforeverr I'm sure many, many different cultures have also discovered stock fish or an equivalent on their own.

[@mats7492]

Putting fish on a stick and dry it is something a lot of cultures came up with separat from each other

[@romella_karmey]

Lol stock fish doesn't have an origin. It was discovered by a lot of different cultures at their own unique paces... Like indirect knowledge.

[@sibusiso2841]

@@nakenmil OPs deduction skills are impeccable

[@JCody-pt3th]

I eat bread, skyr, honey, and fruit for breakfast a couple times a week. Love it.

[@debbscustomengravings5226]

The name of the stew is interesting because people from Liverpool (Scousers) eat a stew they call Scouse. The name, according to the internet, comes from a stew eaten by sailors called lobscouse. Liverpool was a very important port at one time and so they became Sousers, eaters of Scouse.

[@Sandi_shores_lands_fish]

What about the word scallywag was that a food too?

[@cocacoola7166]

"Skyr is a yogurt like cheese" Well I guess technically... Although it is just thicker yogurt.

[@benmorris7276]

No it's a yogurt like cheese the process in which it's made is very similar if not the same as making a soft creamy cheese like mascarpone. And is probably the healthiest dairy product out there high in protein like close to 19/20gs of protein an d little to no fats

[@benmorris7276]

@bronchoped1 traditional Icelandic Skyr has no sugar it has high protein and low fat basically none it's very healthy for a dairy product and with a diet like the Norse and Icelanders Who's diets consisted mainly of fish and livestock like sheep fats like butter, vegetables in various forms and cheese it wouldn't matter if Skyr had fat or not Skyr is extremely healthy as a dairy product.

[@margaretbruhn4376]

Cheese or not it is the best yogurt-like food available.

[@benmorris7276]

@James F. It's labeled as Skýr because that's what is called. Why call it Icelandic yogurt when you call it what it's actually called in Icelandic

[@heinedenmark]

I often eat it for breakfast

[@alexandergriffith1825]

I mean Scandinavian people are still some of the healthiest/cleanest people on the planet.

[@bippitybopitybooty4208]

I'm going to be the nastiest Scandinavian just to spite you

[@resorband]

@@bippitybopitybooty4208 I'll help you by making every non-scandinavian super healthy too

[@yudobruuu1421]

yeah well that changed quickly since most took the jabs

[@cincin4515]

Cleanest? Tell us you're not spying on them in the shower.

[@alexandergriffith1825]

@@cincin4515 everyone has their hobbies.

[@ryanr3071]

As the saying goes “An army marches in its stomach.” Would explain why the Vikings were great in battle

[@bippitybopitybooty4208]

Stomach full of worms too

[@jetjames420]

I can't see how people are surprised to hear that WE ATE HEALTHIER BEFORE FOOD WAS MASS PRODUCED. It's almost like the cooks valued keeping their people healthy instead of making a massive profit off them.

[@Ikajo]

Uh... that isn't entirely true. When survival hinged on food, you ate whatever you could. But in certain time periods, people were either starving and suffering malnutrition, or eating extremely unhealthy foods because they were rich.

[@BobcatSchneidermann]

Basic economics dictate that you can't make money selling food to a dead person, so keeping customers alive seems prudent.

[@feebee5557]

@@BobcatSchneidermann that's where the pharmaceutical companies come in. Processed food makes us sick, pills mask symptoms, then you need more pills to mask the side effects of those pills, until you are taking more than 5 different prescriptions a day sometimes as much as 20, all the while getting more sick and nobody says you need to stop eating all this crap. It's a vicious cycle, big food and big pharma are in on it together, and OP has a valid point. They don't care if we live or die, or how sick we get, as long as they make money while we are living. There are enough people to come in behind the ones who die that your comment is irrelevant.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

COOKS generally love people. THEY cook and offer the best that they can. When food processing and distribution becomes industrialized, managers want bonuses and stockholders want returns to investment. Consumers, unfortunately, often satisfy themselves with cheap food and do not support local producers and processors who need to receive the money to make up for small-scale inefficiency.

[@ranaevalentine9876]

Not completely true, there were plenty of food related scandals back in the day, particularly relating to fake spices and adding "adulterants" to flour and beer. There were laws regarding the sale of food, purity, etc, and entire guilds set up solely for the purpose of regulating these laws and investigating suspected fraud related to food going as far back as ancient Rome and Greece, as well as very common in the rest of Europe during the middle ages.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Nowadays, I'm just glad there are no more broken pint mugs after a drunk Viking drinks from it.

[@dayaninikhaton]

I'd like to see an episode about how the human diet changed between the paleolithic and neolithic periods. I remember a lot of research on the iceman discovered in the Alps in 1991 including what he ate.

[@spunkythedingo9859]

basically we began to eat farm raised products such as grains, legumes, and dairy, and we began to ferment food, bread, pickles, cheese, ale, etc. our diets began to rely heavily on grain; grain was eaten probably only to prevent starvation during Paleolithic times bc its very innutritious. we no longer ate 200 or so different types of plant foods, and seldom fasted (which is really good for you btw).

[@oranges557]

its easy: paleolithic : large amounts of meat neolithic: a slave diet of grains and some dairy. maybe on special occasions some meat. our ancestors ate better than us.

[@theteacher7619]

These Food Videos are my favorite Weird History videos, Could you do one on Japanese cuisine, one on Russian cuisine, one on British rationing during WWII, and one on Christmas foods over the years, like how Henry VIII had a boar's head for Christmas dinner rather than a turkey, Thanks!

[@alventuradelacruz522]

I want one on mayan and aztec food

[@theteacher7619]

@@alventuradelacruz522 Weird History has a video on Aztec cuisine; a video on Mayan food would definitely be interesting 👍

[@snach1983]

Makes sense how they were larger than life figures for their time.combat requires athletic attributes and without a good diet its really difficult for the body to have good response

[@resorband]

They attacked each other a lot and had a lot of local conflicts before even raiding other people. This created the war-like culture

[@veronicajensen7690]

what culture wasn't war like back then ?@@resorband

[@dazoomcat]

I don't think I could handle a viking who was worried about gluten.

[@judsonindustries8044]

I don't like jello.

[@GB-ol9mu]

I can’t handle anyone who worries about gluten Lol

[@msjannd4]

😂😂😂

[@crystalrispoli1363]

Smh

[@pushinkeys]

😂😂 They would probably pronounce it like “glowten”

[@donnawinters3587]

Their diet didn't seem strange at all, you were correct at the beginning when it was described as 'modern'. Very interesting video!

[@juliemclain5841]

I love this channel and have been binge watching all day! Thank you for your amazing work!!

[@user-mq5xt5jf4o]

There is always Skyr and various toppings for it (dried fruits, nuts etc). as part of the breakfast in the canteen at my workplace (in Denmark). If the canteen runs out of Skyr, people (mostly men) become weird; they cannot live without their beloved Skyr.

[@gaywizard2000]

Wtf? You have breakfast at work? And people go nuts if they don't have yogurt?

[@practicalpen1990]

@@gaywizard2000 It's the real first world.

[@80sMetalHead]

Another GREAT upload! Really appreciate you kids!! 👍

[@thissomegoodshit-natureamb9487]

That Seal joke got me laughing hard hahaha! Thanks for a knowledgeable and funny episode! And greetings from Denmark!

[@narcolepsyboy94]

I be learning so much from this channel 🔥

[@trixie898989]

Norsemen, love that show! 😂😘 And, Weird History, love your videos!

[@b4nks179]

Weird History never dissapoints

[@lerneanlion]

English Knight: Where is my horse?! Danish Viking: He was providing me and my family a pot of delicious concoction with his fleshes as the main ingredient.

[@John77Doe]

The Vikings ate horses!! 😱😱😱

[@chrissycroft5099]

@@John77Doe Horse tastes like sweet beef..

[@John77Doe]

@@chrissycroft5099 😞😞😞🐴🐴🐴

[@DannyHangLooseTV]

Oh wow , I'm from Kyrgyzstan and back in nomadic times my ancestors used to make CURDS from dairy it also sounds similar CURUT, it fills up the stomach and you won't feel hungry all the time

[@nolesy34]

No way!

[@God-if9xx]

Love your sarcastic humor through narration as well as your videos 😂

[@LordWhatever]

Dry salted fish & meat is a staple in the Caribbean cuisine that was highly influenced by the Europeans' ways to preserve foods and goods. Hoop and root beers were safer ways to hydrate since water needed to boiled in the process. Makes me wonder if the consumption of alcohol in those days had to do with the bravery of men and the calm behavior of kids. 🤔

[@unknown1667]

fucking love spending my Friday nights marvelling at viking diets while my mates are out drinking... they dont know this type of joy

[@loralee4848]

I think you are brilliant and hilarious and learning has never been more fun! Thank you. ☝️🦋💜🦋

[@auntvesuvi3872]

Thanks for this! ⛰️

[@maliszwska]

If you are from North or Eastern Europe most of dishes you eating still and I’m sure will eat in future. Like grains, buckwheat a lot of herring and other fatty fish.And it’s still quite common to eat boiled meat,and a lot of fermented milk. In my case thanks to Varangians.

[@airsquadron654]

Do the history of mead!

[@highwind4559]

Great episode!

[@cclarke9301]

Thank you so much! That was very interesting, I always learn from you!

[@anthonyburke5656]

The Vikings also washed themselves and their clothes. One historic complaint by contemporary English was tat English women preferred Vikings because they washed.

[@footballkickerswag]

8:25 “and Seal” 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Edit: 9:24 too 😂🤣

[@rustysilk685]

This is so incredibly interesting. I love learning about these different time periods and thats why i love movies and shows like GOT, THE WITCHER, HILANDER, ETC. GREAT CHANNEL HERE

[@gaywizard2000]

Those shows are not historic or close to factual. Go watch some documentaries! Netflix is mostly anachronistic entertainment!

[@catherinelamprakes7516]

I love this narrative! I could listen to him all day. ( I pretty much do).

[@sofiaparsons22]

I know you’ve made videos of King Henry VIII but I would love more videos about his favorite foods, his mistresses, his funeral, his rotting leg, more about his wives.

[@zach7193]

Man, that's something. The Vikings ate like kings.

[@airraidband]

Like Vi-kings. I’ll see myself out

[@elizabethh6046]

Great video guys

[@sk8ingchamp]

haha! loved the "seal" reference at 8:25! Didn't see that one coming!

[@Hellforsa]

fun fact: here in sweden we have something called svagdricka (weak drink) and its watered down beer with sweeternes put in. popular the 19th an 20th centuries and still consumed during christmas. svagdrcka was the drink children drank when beer was drunk by the adults. maybe this is a ancestor of the weak mead? :P

[@Martan404]

I really don't like Svagdricka 🤢 I'm glad we have Julmust as well

[@Hellforsa]

@@Martan404 haha håller med, svagdricka är inte gott, zeunerts julmust är den bästa🙂

[@OldieBugger]

Here in Finland people used to make this kind of low-alcohol beer, the difference to real beer is maybe a different kind of yeast, maybe just the much shorter fermentation time. Or both, for that matter. Anyway, it never was watered down beer. Nowadays... I don't know how they make it in factories, maybe like any other soft drink?

[@katmckenziepanpride]

I would love to have a Viking diet, but I can't afford it.

[@AstarionWifey]

Just eat chicken and cheese lol both items are cheap AF

[@bippitybopitybooty4208]

@@AstarionWifey the constipation

[@AstarionWifey]

@@bippitybopitybooty4208 fart 💨

[@AstarionWifey]

@@bippitybopitybooty4208 and don’t stop farting lol

[@Mrs.Darpino]

This is very off topic but I would love to learn about the Voyager missions ❤❤❤❤ I absolutely love this channel..watch videos daily!!

[@aswwafl]

Wow, thanks for a truly amazing video.

[@GarC170]

I’m third generation American but my dads family is Scandinavian and to this day even tho my Norwegian grandma is in her 90s Christmas feast is still the largest thing in the world to her. Day after thanksgiving she does not stop baking until Dec 23. There were at least 20 different individual things she would bake for Christmas every year. I think someone in comments mentioned lefse plus half a dozen other Norwegian things I couldn’t pronounce like these star shaped things she deep fries with something that looks like a branding iron for cattle. I was actually just talking to her the other week on my late dads bday and she was telling me about how they would manage to make ludefisk on her homestead there were enough Norwegians in South Dakota that every Christmas the general stores would import large quantities of stock fish and lye. You literally just grabbed stockfish out of wood barrels that had never been refrigerated. The thing in the beginning about them reheating unrefridgerated stew every morning for breakfast is damn near identical to how my grandma described eating breakfast on the farm. My grandpas family were danish immigrants but he passed over two decades ago so I never got any stories out of him

[@Hotaru9]

You should do what settlers ate when they were exploring the west before the Oregon trail existed.

[@OffRampTourist]

You might enjoy Townsend KZbin channel. Lots of pioneer recipes and utensils, 18th century army and navy rations, clothing, shelter, so much more.

[@gaywizard2000]

Each other???

[@michaelpage4199]

Great video I loved it. Thanks for e

[@beowulf3454]

Fascinating...explains my love of pickled herring and wholemeal bread...

[@blazefairchild465]

A very well researched video thank you ! I can tell you after spending 12 years in a Iceland I have all of the above ,foods still being eaten,horse was eaten before cow at the time & place I was there. All the smoked, dried & pickled meats were eaten on winter holidays I think now everything is available at all times. Back then they slaughtered the sheep in the fall ,so we sent the legs to the smoke house & packed large amounts in salt buckets to keep for winter ,made blood pudding etc... Now with stores on every corner you can just buy what you want daily & bring it home to eat. Big difference than picking up 5 sheep to cut up on your kitchen table. My mother in law believed fresh food, which I thought was great ,until I came home in my first week of marriage to find a big fish in my kitchen sink still twitching. I find freezers can be used for meat as well as every thing else. I think icelanders are some of those who were allowed to eat big whale. Not the type the Japanese or Faroese trap & beat with clubs. Until science found whales were such amazing creatures, that were headed the way of the buffalos & first American bird. Many thanks for this informative video.

[@VibrantLight709]

I’m in Newfoundland, 🇨🇦. Salt (cod) fish has been a staple here for a long, long, time. I wonder if it was introduced by the Vikings when they arrived here 🤔

[@kuzzbillington6392]

Probably not? I mean, not like you had ancenstors living there at the time the vikings got there... It was probably brought there by the european ancestors that arrived there 800 years later. Most of this stuff is common all over the northern region after all.

[@mega1283]

@@kuzzbillington6392 mostly like was bought over by the Portuguese. It's still a thing there and they have over 100 ways to make cod fish

[@marionetteproject508]

man, it feels cool to see this. I'm from Tonga and we had a similar civilization to the Scandinavians, but coconuts were an important source of food whenever we were at sea. One of the animals we're known to eat is lamb, pork, horse, chicken, (and sometimes dog). One food we still make to this day but use modern tools is lu (meat with coconut sauce wrapped with taro leafs that you can also eat).

[@becauseimbored777777]

Obsessed with the philological break down of “Viking”🥺💖😋

[@Shazzyhtown]

Wow, the Viking diet was fresh and free of chemicals . Must have been tall and in awesome shape 👀

[@jeffreymcneil7107]

Yeah baby

[@ragnhildmd5063]

They definetily were in good shape. After all, they did a lot of manual labor, which included farming, building, and rowing (the latter one being a full body work out that makes you strong af) in addition to a varied diet. A majority of those Foods are still consumed by us scandinavians, but made in more modern and Aage ways. (though a portion of the population are choosing more and more processed Foods and fast food)

[@Shazzyhtown]

@@ragnhildmd5063 That's why you guys tend to be taller and have good skin. Gorgeous people 😊😊

[@ragnhildmd5063]

@@Shazzyhtown Thank you so much! That's so kind of you! ☺️ I checked out your profile pic, and you look amazing too!

[@wagner977]

Lol Viking average height was 5'7 but it's still tall compare to other people in that time

[@russelltowell2584]

Scouse is something I had regularly as a kid and still eat to this day. My family is from Merseyside which is why I know about this dish. I think it came from Ireland, a place with lots of links to the Norse-men

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

I was going to comment that Liverpudlians are also known as Scousers! It's amazing how long in time - and how far - some words travel.

[@darrenrenna]

Great video......another reason to love Vikings!

[@btetschner]

Excellent video, thank you.

[@SellavinAtoms]

I don't know much about Vikings fact I'm a very little but after watching this video I can tell that they definitely made use of the resources around them which helped them thrive as a people And if I ever get the chance to visit Norway to try the local food I wonder if they use some of the same recipes that Vikings used to this day with a more modern twist cuz I definitely love to eat some of the stuff.

[@cincin4515]

Read the comments. They do.

[@placeholdername3206]

We still eat all of those things in Denmark. Specifically the different variants of ryebread and skyr. Ryebread is considered the cornerstone of a healthy and filling lunch. Skyr is a very common breakfast choice, but are also a part of snacks and deserts. It's basically a sour yogourt full of protein, which is also why it's very common in body building protein intake. The smelly, rotten fermented fish tho? No.

[@einsibongo]

Icelander here, thank you for the clarification on the naming in the beginning, it comes up every time.

[@mocat1]

8:29. 😂🤣🤣💀 I see what you did there, Weird History. (I love you guys.)

[@jbalogh01]

My father, who was Scandinavian, loved a little thing he made that was extremely salted and pickled herring. He would make it once in a while an incourage me to to share it. I couldn't eat but a few bites because I don't care for fish. But I did love the salted fried pork he would make 😋😋 that was delicious

[@masonmarano3827]

I love all the Norseman clips. They really need to bring that show out of being cancelled

[@thefisherking78]

Good stuff! Thanks!

[@Gobutterfingers16]

Lol that Seal joke took me by surprise. Loved it 😂

[@QuietFury9]

After having a surgery that required me to change my diet, i lost over 20 pounds on the nordic diet. I have never felt better I highly recommend it

[@danayang7712]

Ooohhh, how nice to see that we still actually eat mostly like that in Norway! We kept on the legacy! 👍😁

[@landrecce]

AWESOME video!

[@abbysimmons3258]

Vikings consistently give us some of the most interesting history and also some of the most brutal too, ie the "Blood Eagle" for instance. Still waiting for that to make it into a big budget Viking epic.

[@jammier6483]

Also with those of us with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (many of us have it and not know it, I myself am "Z"): The Alpha-1 gene is often called the “Viking gene,” since the genetic mutation’s “Z” version, the more severe, An inherited deficiency in alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) can contribute to the onset of the debilitating illnesses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema. A1AT protects the lungs and liver from enzymes produced by the immune system, but those enzymes, called proteases, are also produced by parasitic worms. Richard Pleass of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and a team of scientists say that deviant forms of A1AT evolved in Viking populations more than 2,000 years ago to combat worm infestations. “Vikings would have eaten contaminated food and parasites would have migrated to various organs, including lungs and liver, where the proteases they released would cause disease,” he said in a press release. “Thus these deviant forms of A1AT would have protected Viking populations, who neither smoked tobacco nor lived long lives, from worms. It is only in the last century that modern medicine has allowed human populations to be treated for disease-causing worms. Consequently these deviant forms of A1AT, that once protected people from parasites, are now at liberty to cause emphysema and COPD,” he explained.

[@christopherallen9580]

Interesting. Elvis Presley had alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

[@panchopistola8298]

Literally no one cares .

[@gaywizard2000]

That is insane! But super interesting!

[@MsKeroseneLamp]

So basically all those soup recipes and cheeses in Vanilla Skyrim were the most historically accurate thing in the ENTIRE game. 🤣🤣🤣

[@robertlukacs4954]

The game doesn’t take place in history though. There are just a few things that are inspired by Norse culture.

[@AstarionWifey]

@@robertlukacs4954 they were talking about FOOD JEEZ

[@Jamie-fl2im]

Excellent channel.

[@kcnnanna]

Stockfish is quite the delicacy in West Africa. We eat a lot of this in my country.

[@williamslavik117]

I made nut bread once, excellent. This meal is something I'd definitely follow and enjoy.

[@DemstarAus]

They also ate celery to cure "salt-sickness" from eating cured salted meats over winter.

[@simonholley4110]

In the Liverpool area of England, a dish called Scouse is still eaten, very similar to what is described here. That part of the UK has a strong Norse history, the Irish Sea was one of the Viking trade routes. In the Hebrides off the NW coast of Scotland, once part of the Norse kingdoms, there was a tradition of hunting seabirds by climbing the cliffs, either lowering themselves by ropes or from boats at the bottom. Young gannets were caught and preserved, still done today on the northern end of the Isle of Lewis, as a cultural tradition, the gannets are known as gugha (possibly mis-spelt) and best described as an aquired taste.

[@Mythical.History]

Nice video bro