The first thing to understand about medieval kitchens is that there were no chimneys until the 12th century, and they were introduced through Europe rather slowly after that. This meant that a modern style of fireplace did not exist, and so the removal of smoke was a problem that had to be dealt with. The result was that whenever possible and practical, cooking was done out doors.
Manor houses and castles had kitchens, but they were usually separate structures, very well ventilated. Baking was usually done separately from other cooking, as it required an oven, where other cooking was done over an open fire. Sometimes the kitchens were incorporated into the manor house or castle keep, and in such a case a smoke canopy gathered the smoke and guided it out through a vent. The smoke canopy was also called a hanging chimney, but it was not a chimney in the modern sense at all. The kitchens also had tables for food preparation, and there could be a whole variety of cupboards, closets, cellars, pantries, and so on associated with the kitchens.
Peasants, when they cooked indoors, used a hearth, usually in the middle of a dirt floor, and the smoke rose to the gables or a hole in the roof and escaped. When peasants needed bread, they either bought it, or they cooked it at a community oven, which could be rented.
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