HERB - Re: cost of herbs

[N.D. Wederstrandt]

 I found these prices in Food and Feast in Medieval England by P.W.
Hammond, pub by Alan Sutton, 1993.

1264 sugar was 2 s./lb  (10 p.)
1334 sugar 7d./lb (3p.)
pepper sold throughout the Middle Ages for about 1s/lb (5 p)
saffron (after 1349 14s/lb (70 p)  Hammond says that saffron was the most
expensive spice used in the Middle Ages.
other spices ran anywhere from 2s to 4s (10 p. to 20p) the prices varying
from season and other variables.

The only spice not imported was mustard which they said was cheap and used
quite a bit.

The Hammond book is fairly interesting as it breaks down the households and
what type of foods each household ate, how much ale and beer they drank,
etc, etc.  It seems to cover the 14th and 15th centuries in particular.

I thought it also kinda neat that rice and sugar were considered spices
until quite late.
Clare


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