Solution:
Foods and ingredients consumed in the 15th century:
fish, gingerbread, grapes, cabbage, cheese, wheat, beaver meat
Foods and ingredients NOT consumed in the 15th century:
corn, potatoes, peppers/paprika, tomatoes, chocolate
Corn, potatoes, peppers/paprika, tomatoes, and chocolate
Corn, potatoes, peppers/paprika, and tomatoes are essential ingredients in Hungarian cuisine. Along with chocolate, these plants – native to the Americas – spread across Europe after the discovery of the continent (1492), thanks to the Spanish conquistadors. They appeared in Hungary around the turn of the 17th-18th centuries and became an integral part of Hungarian gastronomy during the 19th century.
The typical Hungarian dishes we associate with today, such as goulash or chicken paprikash, were not present during the Middle Ages. They only began to spread in peasant kitchens from the 18th century and, thanks to 19th-century national romanticism, became the foundation of traditional Hungarian cuisine.
Wheat, cabbage, grapes
Among grains, the cultivation of wheat, millet, and barley was significant.
Most of the vegetables we know today (e.g., carrots, cabbage, beans, peas) were widely used, from peasant households to royal courts.
Grape cultivation was introduced to the territory of Hungary by the ancient Romans and experienced a revival in the 10th century. Vineyards were typically associated with monasteries and feudal estates. Since high-quality, clean drinking water was not always available, wine production held particular importance.
Gingerbread
Honey was the most widely used sweetener. Gingerbread was popular and not only made around Christmas. In the Middle Ages, baking pastries and carving wooden molds for shaping them were considered their own individual crafts.
Cheese
Historical records reveal that thanks to Queen Beatrice of Aragon (1476–1500), the consort of King Matthias, special Italian cheeses were introduced to the royal kitchen.
Fish and beaver
According to the writings of Galeotto Marzio, a wide variety of meats were consumed during the reign of King Matthias. Pheasant, duck, goose, veal, lamb, and various game meats were highly favored and served with flavorful sauces. Spices such as saffron, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves were commonly used. Contemporary chroniclers believed the fiery temperament of Hungarians was due to their consumption of spicy foods.
Fish was more frequently served than it is today. Among fasting foods, beaver was included alongside mussels, turtles, and freshwater crayfish.