1749, Pehr Kalm, Swedish naturalist:

“Noon is dinner time, during which a large meal is served among people of quality, and also among the bourgeois when greeting strangers to their table. The bread is oval in shape and baked of wheat flour. Each person’s place setting consists of a napkin, a spoon and a fork. Knives are sometimes given, but are generally omitted, as each lady and gentleman takes care to bring their own knife .[…] The meal begins with a soup that is eaten with plenty of bread, followed by fresh meat of all kinds, boiled and roasted, game and poultry, fricasseed or stewed, and a variety of salads. Claret (wine), mixed with water, is usually drunk with lunch. Spruce beer is also very popular. Ladies drink water, rarely wine.[…] Immediately after lunch, they have a cup of coffee without cream. Supper is usually at seven o’clock or between seven and eight in the evening, and it consists of the same dishes as dinner. Pudding is unknown here; they know how to make punch, but it is not customary to serve it.”

 

Author: Excerpt of Pehr Kalm