Re(2): SC - mustard history

[Sue Wensel]

Adamantius writes:
>We've been through this pretty exhaustively before on this list. Not a
>comment on the above poster, just a comment on the claim about
>disguising "the rank taste of spoiled food" 

Actually, Markham gives a recipe for salvaging spoiling venison.  My account
is through work, so I don't have the book available, but I can post more on
the recipe tomorrow (if I remember).

>and camouflaging "the
>immense amount if salt used to preserve meat", which is one I've never
>heard before ;  ). It does seem to be true that mustard was fairly
>ubiquitous across medieval Northern Europe; it i s one of the relatively
>few spices that is native to much of Europe, and therefore comparatively
>inexpensive. It is also true that mustard seems to be commonly used in
>combination with cured or salted meats, just as it is used today.
>However, I find it hard to accept the implication that such meat was
>eaten without soaking and otherwise desalting it. Recipes generally are
>pretty detailed about this process, and in an environment where salt
>meats were eaten pretty frequently it would have been common knowledge
>how to get around this.  

On this I agree.  Often salting meat will add a toughness to it, so Iwould not
be surprised if they often made soups with salted meat. Certain vegetables,
especially legumes, and grains like barley, will absorb as much salt as you
let it, if it cooks long enough.

Derdriu