FISH FROM THEIR OWN PONDS
The Cistercians were forbidden from eating meat from four-legged animals. Fish, considered "river fruit", were not included in that ban. Subsequently, fish played an important role in the monastery's routine. During fasting periods, however, the population's demand for fish also grew. To meet this great demand, Maulbronn Monastery, like many other monasteries, began raising fish in its own ponds. The monastery ponds raised primarily eels, pike and carp, which were then sold or eaten by the monks themselves.