Game

Before animals were domesticated for livestock, early man hunted wild animals for sustenance. In ancient Rome the serving of wild game was very popular; it was this popularity in fact that lead to the early domestication of, in particular, game birds. Roman nobleman Lucullus was said to have installed an enclosure in his kitchen so that he could enjoy eating thrush while live thrush flew around him. During the feudal period, hunting was a privilege of the aristocracy and this practice endured in France until the revolution. Herons, swans, and peacocks, all of which were grain fed, were used in medieval cooking.