Their task was simply to peel the lemons and remove the seeds. The castle provided good-quality knives for the job, and they were given a meal at noon—a bean stew that, to their surprise, was made with bones! The bones were chopped up and simmered with the beans, giving the stew a rich, meaty flavor. The broth was so delicious, with a layer of fat on top, that it was satisfying.

Then, as dusk approached, their work was done, and all the serfs were taken back home in ox carts. Though these carts were usually used for transporting goods, they were grateful to have a ride and didn’t have to...