SC - Re: Candied Ginger

[Elise Fleming]

Stefan li Rous asked:

>So, how was candied ginger used in the Middle Ages? As a candy? In 
>particular foods? I'm not sure how to categorize candied ginger as a 
>food item. I have used it in mead, but I don't know that it was used 
>that way then.

Thomas Dawson (1596) has it as part of the banquet (dessert) course. My 
assumption is that the candied version was used as a confection just as 
candied cubebs, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise and coriander seeds, etc. were 
used.  Petits Propos Culinaires, a number of years ago, had an article 
that included some information on the amount of sweets that were taken 
on campaign by various warriors (dukes, counts, bishops).  The figure 
is quite high.  A number of specific confections were mentioned; ginger 
was not one, but neither were a number of other confections.

Comfits (comfets) were also used as garnishes to several dishes besides 
being eaten by themselves as a candy.  One might suspect that candied 
ginger was used that way in very late period.

All this got me to wanting some candied ginger... Just bought three 
races of it.  Now I have to stay off the computer and make it into a 
confection!

Alys Katharine



============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================