SC - New World Foods

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Uduido at aol.com wrote:

> My PERSONAL problem with New World Foods is that at the
> time they were introduced cookery had taken a drastic new path both in
> technique and flavoring. Cubebs, grains of paradise, sauders, galengal and
> long pepper were not to be found in any recipes from the time of the
> introduction of new world foods. IMHO, the inclusion of these spices during
> the  middle ages denotes a specific style of cookery that can be described as
> Medieval. The changes is cooking styles occured during the Renaissance and
> the end result was a style that was unique and totally different from
> Medieval cookery. For example, the use of long pepper which came and went
> during several centuries was replaced by chili peppers which are similar in
> flavor.

I think what it boils down to is the fact that while some of the New
World foods were eaten in period, although generally not very often,
they are not typical of what period Europeans ate. That being the case,
our use of them could be misconstrued as, for example, condoning the
serving of Rock Cornish Hen and Baked Potato at Medieval Times. While
there are exceptions to the rules, we should be stressing the rules,
rather than  the exceptions, since we're supposed to be doing this for
the educational value, after all.

This is kind of akin to the concept of informing the heavy-weapons
fighters that since gunpowder existed in period, you've just killed them
all with your rattan-and-duct-tape harquebus. It doesn't typify the
ideal of re-enactment, at least the way we have been trying to do it.

Of course, the occasional foray into New World foods as a novelty of
sorts isn't too harmful. I have served what I believe to be a reasonably
accurate rendition of period chocolatl at events, and no one seems to
complain too much. Of course, they're all too high on tryptophane to
care ;  )  !

Adamantius, exaggerating only slightly 
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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