Essential Qualities: – Cool, dry, and well-ventilated – Usually on the shady side of the house – No fireplaces or hot flues in any of the adjoining walls – Might have a door to an outside yard – Had windows with wire gauze in them instead of glass Description: – Larders and kitchens placed on the north or west side in the northern hemisphere – Larders placed on the south or east sides in Australia and New Zealand – Larders have small, unglazed windows covered in fine mesh – Tiled or painted walls for easy cleaning – Hooks in the ceiling to hang joints of meat in older larders Etymology: – Middle English origin: from Old French lardier – Derived from medieval Latin lardarium – Originated from laridum History: – In medieval households, larder referred to an office responsible for fish, jams, and meat – The Scots term for larder was “spence” – Larders were used by the Indus Valley civilization to store bones of animals – Larders were subordinated to the kitchen in larger households – Connected to other kitchen offices like the saucery and scullery Animal Larders: – Animals store food for later consumption in larders – Example: squirrels hoard seeds and nuts for leaner months – Alligators and crocodiles use underwater larders for fresh kills – Larders are dug into land banks or wedged under logs for animals – Larders provide a store of fresh food for animals See Also: – Food storage – Root cellar