Re(2): Re(2): Re(2): SC - mustard history

[Sue Wensel]

Sue Wensel wrote:

> I was not saying that they ate *spoiled* food.  

Again, it was the author of the L.A. Times piece on mustard originally
quoted who seems to think so...

My contention is that meat
> didn't keep as long as we keep it now.  Even now, we have recipes to deal with
> freezer-burn, meat that has sat in the refridgerator too long, what have you.
> That isn't to say that we eat spoiled meat, just that we are being thrifty and
> we have techniques to make the most of what we have.

Well, so did period folks, but while that is all true, these are
solutions to problems we all hope will never occur. We don't develop
solutions like those so we won't have to get up and put the meat in the
fridge, and the fact that these solutions exist (and existed) isn't an
indicator that people behave that way ;  ). Regardless of your own
personal stand on the whole spice-vs-spoiled issue, the undeniable fact
is that many people think that medieval food is very heavily spiced
(untrue, in my view) in order to disguise the fact that the meat was
spoiled to some extent as to be inedible without the spices (also untrue
in my opinion).

Your view seems to be more along the lines that a certain gaminess might
have been pretty common in unrefrigerated meat, and that a judicious hit
of spice might help overcome that gaminess, which some people don't care
for. I agree with that, but the L.A. Times author specifically used the
word "spoiled", which even Markham wouldn't use.   
 
> Now how mustard figures into this, I don't know as I think mustard only
> belongs on hot dogs (which aren't period and are totally tasteless).

Well, the mustard is there to disguise the taste of...well, you know ; 
). Actually a nice smoked Frankfurt sausage, made from pork and veal by
a competent, preferably German, butcher, is a wonderful thing. It's just
a shame they are so rare... .

Adamantius
> 
> Derdriu