Marchpane (from the French word marce pain) was very like our modern marzipan.

It was made from powdered almonds (a type of nut), pounded sugar (icing sugar) and rose water (water flavoured with rose petals).

All sorts of fantastic shapes were made in marzipan by skilled cooks for the banquet (sweetmeat course) at the end of a feast.

These shapes were often covered with gold leaf - gold rolled very, very thin.

The rich people ate the gold!