In the 15th-century calendar, August was better known as the harvest month. The work in the fields in spring was rewarded in August when the golden grain was reaped. A successful harvest was a good reason for celebration. During the harvest festival, the contemporaries of the Van Eyck brothers feasted on pastries such as mastels.
Did you know? The name mastel is derived from the Old French word for pastry or pie. In the 16th century, a mastel was called a morstelle(ken). The origin of this word is sometimes said to be mesteil, meaning “maslin” in French. Etymologically, it seems more likely that there is a connection with the Old French wastel or gastel, which became gâteau in modern French.
Nowadays, Graslei and Korenlei are popular Instagram spots, but in the Middle Ages these quays were an important site for loading and unloading grain. In the 11th century, the port of Ghent became a prominent distribution centre for grain. Ghent had a socalled “grain staple right”, the city could provide its inhabitants with a steady supply of grain at affordable prices. Keeping the price of grain low was a tried and tested political method to keep the peace inside the city.
The city not only ensured grain distribution but also grain production. The sandy soils around Ghent were ideal for growing rye, a cereal resistant to the cold and wet conditions. Its slightly sour flavour and low digestibility, however, ensured that the medieval diet did not consist entirely of rye. Maslin bread, made from a mixture of more expensive wheat and cheaper rye, was more favoured by the Ghent population.
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