Happy Summer Solstice everyone! Happy full moon! I've been working hard on the latest epsiode in the historical food week series, this time eating only Viking food for a week. I hope you enjoy watching. Thank you so much for your ongoing support of my art and channel. It means the world to me 🌙✨

@martinhg98

6 күн бұрын

I am swedish and have just celebrated midsommar.

@elly1725

5 күн бұрын

Thank you for making the art, it is such a calming and comforting look into the past and I love it ❤

@Biggdaddy903

3 күн бұрын

As someone who has adopted the Celtic pagan culture, I appreciate the efforts you go through to give us ideas of how our ancestors lived dressed and ate. You are such a beautiful and talented lady I really enjoy watching your videos. Thank you.

@realbunnyRBN

3 күн бұрын

Merry Estival!! I hope the mead flowed freely and the moon shown upon your face!

@Redbeardblondie

Күн бұрын

I love watching your content, older historical things fascinate me! But I think my favorite part is your smile, it is genuinely so uplifting and beaming!

stages of historical accuracy: level 1 - oatmeal on every breakfast level 10 - proper viking yougurt level 74 - food poisoning level 99 - BUGS IN THE POCKET OF STOCK FISH

modern salted butter is barely saltier than unsalted, because we have modern refrigeration. back then, of course, salt was a preservative, and it would have been plenty salty even if you washed the butter in cold fresh water (which was a thing they did with all salted foods,)

@sarahwatts7152

4 күн бұрын

This blew my mind when I first learned about it, I've toyed with the idea of making my butter historically salty just to try it out

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

This makes so much sense! Thank you for sharing!

@malinmaskros

12 сағат бұрын

In Sweden you actually can buy extra salted butter! I don't know if it's as salty as viking salted butter, or if we've just inherited their taste for salt - we still eat pretty salty food, and salt is still used as a preservative method.

I really appreciate how you make these videos without putting in the eating sounds, so that everyone can watch (its me, misophonia is evil)

@darlenefraser3022

6 күн бұрын

I couldn’t agree more.

@janeevans4758

6 күн бұрын

Another Misophonia person 🤦‍♀️ it's the total pain of my life.

@brandihayes1274

6 күн бұрын

ASMR videos make me so angry 😅 I hate when they don't warn you. Cooking ones really get me. Repetitive noises in general send me over the top. My kids were never allowed to make a noise more than 3 times before I snapped and my dog isn't allowed to lick himself anywhere near me. Like just irrational anger overcomes me.

@pippaseaspirit4415

6 күн бұрын

Me too! Misophonia has made dinner time miserable for me for well over 55 years.

@CrankyGrandma

5 күн бұрын

Me too!

"Odin, is that you?" You're AWESOME V! I too, am neurospicy! 😂

@JohnMinehan-lx9ts

4 күн бұрын

He was very hungry after the unpleasant events involving the World-Tree . . . .

Skyr and Porridge mixed together is called "Hræringur" ("A Stirring")

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Takk fyrir! I hadn’t realised there was a word for it in Icelandic ☺️

Icelander here, making Skyr at home is pretty safe if you follow this recipie: 1. Heat the milk to 85c, slowly to not scald it, and keep it there for a few minutes. This will kill all the bad bacteria. 2. Let the milk cool back down to to about 38c, then incorporate your "seed-skyr" into the milk, stirring well to spread it out. 3. Add rennet, I prefer rennet made from calf-stomach-lining, but you can also use a bacterial-based too. 4. Cover pot, wrap it in some towels put it in a warm place (35c) for 6-12 hours for the milk to ferment and curds to form. 5. Take the curds out with a deep-ladle, careful not to scrape the bottom of the pot because there might be some slight scalding and place into a clean linen-bag to hang and drain over another pot for a few hours, I like to also squeeze the extra liquid out to get a very concentrated skyr, it will actually be almost solid, it will turn back to a liquid once you stir it. 6. Enjoy the skyr! 7. Use the whey to make Mysingur/Prim/Messmörr. Enjoy!

@Sindrijo

5 күн бұрын

Forgot to mention, you should be using skimmed milk!

@itslou2338

3 күн бұрын

Can I use goat milk (we only have full fat tho)

The vikings did have beans native to the so called "old world", like fava beans (aka broad beans) and they also had peas. 😊

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Yes indeed! ☺️ the peas in a bag were a nice pick me up on day 6 dinner, but really I was craving something like black beans or pinto beans.

I hecking love food history, it allows for such a sensory link to people from the past.

What do Vikings eat? Probably anything they find in the larders of the English monasteries

@foxnoxness4989

6 күн бұрын

Sure if the actual person per say worked as viking. The viking age is just a timeline in a specific area.

@SingingSealRiana

6 күн бұрын

Really depends, some went east untead though and for example sold eastern europeans to the middle east and got spices that way

@BobCrabtree-ev4rz

2 күн бұрын

Spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam c’mon you were all thinking it.

@wynnkidsnannylorivance4111

2 күн бұрын

Lol

@trollforge

Күн бұрын

@@BobCrabtree-ev4rznope, I was thinking Vikings & Bee Keepers...

I bet Max Miller from "Tasting History" would love this video! 🙂

@CowgirlWren

11 сағат бұрын

@TastingHistory

I really really enjoy this type of historical food videos, I'd love to see one of ancient Greece or Egypt 🍴🩷

@smaxrob

5 күн бұрын

Ohhh both would be very cool!

God bless you, sister! I absolutely love, love, love, love your channel! Suggestion: the recipes and cuisine of Tolkein's Middle Earth: Hobbit fare, Elven fare, Dwarves fare and, of course the food of the men of Rohan and Gondor. All of which, of course, are imagined fusions of British, Germanic and Norse cuisine!

Eating two meals a day was standard practice for a really long time. In the Jane Austen era people had a very late breakfast (essentially brunch) and then a late supper. Afternoon tea was a scandalous addition to the menu, which eventually gained popularity. Since I’ve had some reflux I’ve found intermittent fasting helpful, whether it’s only eating two meals or one on odd days, it seems to make a difference to my stomach.

@sabiti5428

3 күн бұрын

I honestly don't think the human body is made to eat 3-4 solid meals a day. 1 or 2 is plenty. Lunch was likely always how V did it. A light 'snack' between meals.

@dudeman5812

3 күн бұрын

10am and 6pm feels best to me

I think a video on historical fabric dying would be interesting. A note on greens. I’m not personally a fan of turnip greens or perhaps I am lacking the right recipe. They may be good in a green gumbo which would involve a lot of cooking. However I love beet greens and have at times found myself fumbling for a recipe to use the actual beets at the other end. I have also enjoyed radishes cooked with their greens (although they are added a little later) in some nondairy “butter.”

The moment I saw the re-rewarmed oats I wanted to shout, “Stop! No! Food poisoning!”

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

I was always taught that rewarming them once is okay (and I googled it and this seems to be confirmed). I suspect it was maybe more so the sheep stew leftover that caused it but thankfully it was mild ☺️ I would love to hear your info about rewarmed oats and food poisoning though if you’d be open to sharing! It’s always good to be on the safe side with food safety.

@darthplagueis13

4 күн бұрын

​@@VBirchwood What matters more with these things is how quickly they are cooled and heated. The thing is, things such as oats and rice and other grains have a lot of surface area for bacteria to attack. Basically, if you leave these things sitting at room temperature after they're cooked, bacteria will start spreading almost immediately, they'll start consuming the food and in the process produce the toxins that are responsible for food poisoning. So really, what it's all about is not letting these foods stay in this temperature range where bacteria can comfortably reproduce. You immediately want to refrigerate cooked grains as soon as they stop being warm, and once you take them back out of the fridge, you wanna heat them up straightaway, so the bacteria don't have any time to comfortably start making toxins.

@caspenbee

3 күн бұрын

Thanks for this info! I eat oatmeal every morning and had no idea. Probably saved my gut from at least one dumb mistake 😅

@Malgorbia

2 күн бұрын

Rice is also a major source of food poisoning when kept luke warm or reheated from the fridge. Bacillus Cereus is the common bacteria and it lives in the dried rice and then accumulates overtime when the rice is kept at cool or luke warm temps. I still eat luke warm rice though and fridge rice, but the lab folks I worked near in my graduate studies were incensed by it haha! Most people when they get food poisoning from "shrimps" or seafood in a lot of asian region foods are actually getting it from not being used to eating the luke warm rice with the Bacillus.

@KingBowserLP

Күн бұрын

@@VBirchwood i'd also reckon the added egg has something to do with it. adding the egg at the end of the cooking process destroys most of the salmonella, so it's safe to eat right then and there; but if you keep it out for a while (especially on a high surface ratio, wet environment like porridge) it'll multiply again.

👂 😃 You get the misophonia deal of approval and appreciation! Thank you sooo much

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Yayyy!! I was trying my best ☺️

@Petty_Mason

4 күн бұрын

@@VBirchwoodit’s beyond kind that you cared! I love your content lady.

If you wrap the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel/paper towel you can crush them without them flying all over the place (of you could use a mortar & pestle if you wanted but start gently to avoid escapees.

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Yes, definitely a great idea (that my brain hadn’t considered as I was taking the initial whack but it made for a funny moment!😂)

@madmax9009

4 күн бұрын

You can hammer them in a stainless cooking pot, too.

Vasi's back! Back again! Vasi's back! Tell a friend!

@VBirchwood

6 күн бұрын

Hahahaha ♥️

@josephkarl2061

6 күн бұрын

You've created a monster with this comment 😂

@katherinedevonshire3676

6 күн бұрын

😂 welp, that's gonna be stuck in my head off and on for the next week.

It's interesting to see in medieval food videos what was common before the Columbian exchange. So many ingredients that are a big part of cuisines from all around the world now were native to the Americas.

the green soup you made in the medieval food video has become a favorite of mine. i just use whatever greens i feel like, and usually add lemon, i haven't seen any recipes for it before or since but its so cool, and definitely helps on those days when i haven't gotten enough veggies

I hope that you can incorporate some of your favourite things like the eggs into your regular diet. It's always great when you find a new recipie that makes you happy

Nice video :D It would be a cool experiment to see how bright you can dye pieces of wool or linen with viking recipes. Because sometimes I see people make historical garments in super bright saturated colors and it just looks off, like a fake costume. But maybe it was possible and it's just something we're not used to see.

Wow, you are one of few I have ever heard likes Sild! 🐟 in norway we eat it with potatoes, sliced leek, turnip paste and some beet root all finly mushed on top of a buttered flatbread 😋😂

@EmL-kg5gn

6 күн бұрын

That sounds amazing!!

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

That sounds so delicious! I used to often eat it with rye bread and butter. Now I’m craving it just with this conversation! 😂

For runny eggs just turn down your pan to medium, salt and pepper quickly, then cover the pan. When your whites have a little jiggle but no runny areas then you’re good to go! You can go for a full over medium and wait for the tops of the yolk to have a slight white tinge and typically your eggs will still be nice and runny.

@karowolkenschaufler7659

4 күн бұрын

the way I learned to make them is the opposite of yours. big pan, so the eggs stay individual. very hot pan. and instead of letting them sit to cook through, flip them (like pancakes) so they get browned from boath sides. crispy egg white on both sides and runny or waxy yoke. that's the goal for me. and when eating them, making a effort not to pirce into the yoke. keep that for last and put it into your mouth whole. then let it burst in your mouth... 😁

I love making barley gruel , roughly grind barley until it looks like grit and then boil it with half water and milk until it starts to thicken like oatmeal , add honey and mixed spice like cinnamon and cloves .

All of these dishes sound super intriguing! Probably, I live in a similar climate as you do, and right now, the most abundant herbs on the allotment are: lovage, marjoram, mint, bay, lemon balm, (lemon) verbena, dill, chives. In season vegetables are: pointed white cabbage, broad beans, onion, garlic, various salads, courgettes. Obviously, because it's a modern allotment, we have a mix from all over the place, and have managed germinating some seeds in our small greenhouse.

This is such a comfort channel for me. You are such a joy to watch, and learn from 🧚🏼‍♂️✨Wishing you all the best with your health, and happiness 💗

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Thank you so much! ♥️ wishing you all the best too ☺️

@mirandaashley

4 күн бұрын

@@VBirchwood Thank you so much, vasi ✨

Norwegian Mom loves pickled herring. I could not do this challenge… as a Norwegian/Swedish descendant I dislike fish and am unable to tolerate aged/yeast-containing foods. I love how much you are enjoying the meals.

Next week on VBirchwood: *I Trained a Dragon for a Week*

I love these. I am a cultural and historic foodie but you have me loving the apparel. Your personality is so adorable and you are a pleasure to watch and enjoy that you do. Thanks

I'm glad you are continuing this series because I find historic food interesting. I wonder if you'll get thousands of comments on this one as well! Your voice-over narrative is quite funny while being informative. It's interesting that you mention that June was the time of hunger, whereas that time is much earlier in the year here in the middle US. I suspect a lot of greens would have been collected and dried to cover that time of year, maybe? I also noted how many things are boiled/stewed, which I see over on Townsend's channel as well. Cooking boiled foods seems to be ubiquitous world-wide, as roasted and baked things require someone to stick around and monitor the meal, which is pretty much a luxury for ordinary people.

I would love to see a demonstration video on your hair wrap or hair scarf. 😊

@dianesmigelski5804

6 күн бұрын

I agree. I have long hair and would love to see how to wrap it. I would wear it that way all the time! I think it would be a great video!

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Thank you! I improvised it 😁 I put my hair up in a bun and secured that with hair pins, then I took a long strip of linen cloth and wrapped it around my head, tying it into a knot at the nape of my neck. I took the ends of the fabric and sort of wrapped them around my head using the bun as a guide, and secured the ends with dress pins all over the wrap. Hope that makes sense!

8:07 Deeply jealous of your weather…here on the east coast of the US, we’ve been in a perma-heatwave for a couple weeks now. Yesterday was our idea of a cooler day, with temps only hitting 84F😭 I can’t wait for fall, when things (hopefully) get chilly again! Also, I love a savory oatmeal. I grew up eating it with butter & garlic salt, and I just can’t eat it any other way. My partner only eats it sweet, and he’s a little disgusted with my garlicky oats lol

Everything looks so good! Your attention to detail is phenomenal. I'm interested in your next challenge

I love how excited you were at points lol I get the same way about cooking and learning new things. you are so cute!

I love this series so much! I saw your medieval food video and really enjoyed it. Was excited to see another one!

Very interesting. I am half Swedish/half English and my Mother came from the far North, where gathering "free food" like berries and fungi was part of their culture,, plus huge amounts of fresh, smoked and dried fish, dairy, cheese, sheep with a pig fattened for Christmas. The reason why Scandinavians were historically tall compared with other races was because of their dairy (calcium) rich diets. That promoted skeletal growth. And survival was harsh. I will watch with interest They still used underground cold houses when I visited as a child. I am now almost 73.

That was awesome, though I am sorry you got sick. You do a really good job filming and explaining everything. Thank you, I really enjoyed it.

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Thank you so much!! ☺️

Your skin is so fair, you remind me of the painting the girl with the pearl earring by Johannes Vermeer. Rather lovely.

Thank you for the informative video! The porridge reminded me a lot of congee which I've been making a ton of recently and 100% agree with the savory being the best. 🤗 Also, loved how happy you were throughout this video, really uplifted my spirits

The way I ran to this episode...😅❤ The medieval foods video was TOO GOOD. I will be dorming in August (for school) and want to make healthier choices as well and hope to also explore different cuisines. Do you have any youtube channels that you use for knowledge about these recipes or any other sources you recommend? I also struggle with my mental health sometimes and just recently realized my nutrition does impact me more than I thought, so recipes like these are great to learn about other cultures and also eat a more diverse serving of foods in a way that feels fun. 🎉

One little nitpick here, from a Norwegian who's done extensive research into the 1600's and 1700's in Scandinavia: carrots didn't actually arrive in the Nordic countries until the 1600's. They're originally from Asia, and would not have been a vegetable Norsemen would've had available to them. A more accurate replacement would be rutabaga, for anyone else who wants to try this. I don't know how easily available rutabagas are outside of the Nordics, though, so if you can't find them, they're extremely similar to turnips.

@steveh8658

Күн бұрын

Your rutabaga is plentiful here in Australia, rated as a good soup vegetable. We call them 'swedes'. The Scots call them 'neeps'. The turnips we have a much more round and with a purple top. The swede is all white and skinny like a carrot.

does anyone else want to see a collaboration with "tasting history"? I'd love one.

I loved your medieval food for a week, glad to see you want to expand upon it!

I had Viking food in Bergen, Norway, and I remember I was disappointed it tasted so bland. But, I am guessing that our modern palate is more used to lots of spices they did not have, so even if it tasted less spectacular, I could appreciate the historic value of it. Oh, and we have plukkfisk here as well. Might not be the same recipe, but I do love it. In addition, drinking "sour milk" or kefir, with fish like the mackerel (though not smoked but cured), is very common here. Some also use raw onion on the side.

Dyeing cloth video sounds great, especially if you're intending to try a variety of dyeing methods/ingredients. You have a way of talking about things that's very accessible and not over-the-top, so you're very easy to listen to for longer periods of time! Also, for not including the eating noises for the folks with misophonia... ❤ So, so much love. Food videos are usually hard to watch because of this, and you made it easy,. It would be fun to see you do some historical cooking videos too, where you show your process!

Really good work! Great video.

Loved this can’t wait to try some recipes myself!! You’re so inspiring love you

Danish here.. had porridge EVERY SINGLE DAY for breakfast as a child except for Sundays 😅 and all ingredients etc ia spor on what we are atill eating

this was great fun--thank you so much!!

Happy to give this video a like, and will subscribe. All the work that has gone into it is truly commendable. 😊

This was a beautiful and historically informative video. Thank you 🥰

Thank you for this. Absolutely loved this video❤

This was sooooo good! Enjoyed every moment of it. Looks like it was hearty food and comforting. The ambience was delightful as well. BEA MISSED OUT!!😂😂

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!! This video is everything I have come to expect from your channel, and then some. I really enjoyed it! Well, except the food poisoning - that was not wonderful, but I am glad it was comparatively light. That porridge looked so good! Possibly that was in part because I have been eating only meat, salt and water for almost three weeks as an elimination diet to better identify food intolerances- everything looked so good! And you seem so very happy and bubbly, that was good to see too.

Fab follow-up to the medieval food; looking forward to the next one.

Happy Summer Solstice! Loved this journeyyyy

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Thank you Emma! 🥰

I really enjoyed that! Thank you

Love your channel, very informative and entertaining! 💗

Brilliant video love all the hard work you put in 😊

I love your videos. Thanks for the food ideas!

I had no idea that you had turkic origin that's so cool! Greetings from Turkey, I enjoy your content a lot!

yes ugh amazing i love that you made this video!!

I love your channel, you inspire me to pursue my interest in historical fashion and creating my life to be full of the things i love the most.

My whole maternal line is genetically Scandinavian, and I can't stand fish, except for salmon and herring. I also hate the cold. It goes to show that culture shapes who we are, as opposed to genetics. This is a great video!

root vegetables can be stored in wet sand. The root is buried in the sand and the greens are cut away. Then you need to seal the cut where the greens were removed. The root veggies will keep for up to 9 months.

@CowgirlWren

11 сағат бұрын

You want to keep the sand container in an area around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e. root cellar). This puts it in a sort of dormant stage - stopping the growing process, therefore stopping it from consuming its own sugar stores. But it remains "planted" in the damp sand, and shouldn't dehydrate/shrivel up.

Yay another new video! Really enjoyed this one :)

I am glad I found your channel. I really enjoyed this video and have subscribed.

Loved, loved, looooooved this video of yours! You always have such wonderful, cozy vibes in them, and I had so much fun with this one. I hope that you can make the recipe that the bugs (damn them!) ended up destroying. Now you have me wanting to buy more varieties of smoked/pickled fish...

I love these videos, please never stop. ❤

Brava! Utterly fascinating adventure. Everything seems so delicious! Loving the back to basics, very scandi - simple, clean and nutritious! No wonder why everyone seems so healthy, strong and beautiful ie no preservatives/fresh. Keep inspiring. Be well Best x Ps: loving the no throw/no waste approach. Use what you have & finish everything on your plate. Healthy sustainable living!

This was fantastic to watch, thank you so much! I'm really craving smoked fish now, will have to think of something for this weeks dinners 😁

Seaweed. Also birch leaves, sea kale which would have been overwintered under hay, buds of many evergreens, and salted veggies (krauts) from over the winter and all the things in root storage, chervil root, parsley root, rutabagas, etc.

for a runny yolk and cooked white, try adding a tsp of water to the pan and cover. It looks like they were flipped, giving them more of a chance to cook all the way through.

I was so happy when I saw the video upload. Can't wait for the next one!

Thanks! I loved this video.

I really like these these historical food week videos. I write a Food and Drink column for my paper, and it may give me some ideas for the future.

I love videos like this. I hope you do all kinds of different eras including more recent ones like the 50s

Wow, such an awesome video. The meals look so delicious! I can see you have put a lot of effort in this video. Looking forward to watch more of these kind of videos.

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Thank you!! ☺️

Wonderful Video, thank you for sharing this fascinating expirience.

I enjoyed this video very much . Thank you .

I always love your videos, Vasi! 🙂

Thank you for always making such nice videos. :)

You had me at 'butter' lol. This was a great watch- fun history and fun to see your reactions to so many interesting foods.

cant believe I'm so early seeing this! Glad you're back.

@marcusfridh8489

6 күн бұрын

You are so early that it is still Vendel time

All of this looks good and youre a great presenter! Ive been sick the past few days and this video made me so hungry hahaha. Thanks for the good watch!

So interesting! Thanks!

5:50 I feel this... so much... the fact that it only boiled over once is amazing. Good for you!

Glad midsommar from southern Sweden

Salmon was a relatively cheap and common dietary staple in Viking age Scandinavia, thanks to a low population density and many good salmon rivers. It would have been regionally available in large amounts (and turned into gravadlax) in the seasons that the schools of salmon showed up.

Since the necklace was from an era prior to the Viking age it actually would have been not extremely common but not totally out of the wheelhouse that a person in the Viking age would still have had it also the Vikings came to America Leif Erikson made it to Vineland which is North America at least Nova Scotia probably as far down as Martha's Vineyard

This was amazing to watch from beginning to end.

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Thank you!! ☺️

@BellaJae

4 күн бұрын

@@VBirchwood you’re welcome. Looking forward to more.

babe wake up v. birchwood just posted

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

😁😁😁

the head wrap from the first clip looks so cool! Can you teach us how to tie it?

@VBirchwood

4 күн бұрын

Thank you!! ☺️ it’s just improvised! I took a long strip of linen fabric and wrapped it over my head and then tied it into a knot at the nape of my neck. Then I took the ends and wrapped them around my head and pinned them with dress pins all over the fabric securely.

The deviled eggs looked yummy! I must try smoked trout soon. Loved this video content, well done!

The Norse diet was actually very good. Especially for the time period. Rulers ate just as well as farmers. They arguably had the best nutrition of anybody at the time.

This is my favorite series!

You don't need a clean room for fermentation. The idea of every controlled fermentation is that you create an enviroment in the food that makes it basically impossible for anything else to flourish exept the microorganisms that you want. Milk is especially unproblematic. All you usually need is a jar rinsed with cooking water or alcohol, or a pot you've heated. For Skyr, heat milk to boiling and let cool to 110°F/42°C. Add Skyr as a starter, about 1/30 of the milk volume, dissolved in a bit of cold milk. Dissolve rennet in warm water and stir into the milk, about 7 drops rennet per gallon / 4 liters of milk. Cover with a towel and let sit in a warm place for 12h. Scoop (dont pour) curd into two layers of cheese cloth and strain in a cool room or fridge for 4-8h.

A lot of the boiled grain based dishes remind me of Blue Apron meals. The size of the Blue Apron food is about 1/2 hers though. As for the peas, boiled pease pudding was one of the most common meals in the age before potatoes. Mostly though, there was a never ending pot of cooked bones and veggie ends on the back of every hearth. You would put the bag in the stockpot and boil it up all day. Lots of times, this would be boiled up every night, like the nursery rhyme.