SC - Bread

[Decker, Terry D.]

>> Cookery, likewise underwent massive changes after 1500 C.E.
>
>So, as I am new to this, could someone please summarize these 
>massive changes? This information would be great for when someone
>asks me what was different about medieval cooking. 
>
>Stefan li Rous

The Fifteenth Century happened.  

The dividing line for cooks is when the medieval spices such as flax,
fenugreek, galingale and cubebs disappear from the menu and the use of
spices like cinnamon, cardamom, coriander and cumin becomes more common.
 Methods of preparation become simpler, but the presentation becomes
more elaborate.

One of the best ways to get a feel for this is to compare the recipes in
Lorna Sass' To the King's Taste and To the Queen's Taste.  There is
about a 150 year gap between the recipes in the two books and the
comparison underscores the changes which took place in the 15th Century.

Why did it occur?  Trade is my opinion.  In the 15th Century, European
nations become expansionist, seeking trade and exploitation around the
world.  As a consequence, exotic food stuffs become more available,
culminating in the influx of new foods from the Americas.  Financial
institutions and methods are created to overcome problems in trade.
Large urban markets attract and control regional trade, creating a
wealthy middle class, who want in on the good life.  The rapid expansion
of printing makes the knowledge of antiquity gleaned from the scholars
of Islamic Spain readily available.  I believe Apicius was one of the
authors who saw print.  Perhaps the question should be, "Why did the
Renaissance occur and how does the change in cooking reflect the change
in ideas?"

If you are interested in pursuing the causes, let me recommend reading
Fernand Braudel's 3 volume set on Civilization and Capitalism 15th-18th
Century.

Bear
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