SC - Columbus menu II

[Mike C. Baker]

- ---Uduido at aol.com wrote:

> << so summer squash (patty pans, zucchini etc) are new 
> world and winter squash
>  (gourds, acorn etc) are old world/period??  
> Or the other way round? or neither?
>  -brid
> 
> Nope. Cucumbers, watermelons, and luffa gourds are old 
> world the rest are new
> world. 
> 
> Lord Ras


Hi, y'all. Just subscribed, and lo & behold what should 
crop up but one of my pet peeves: just because a given
food item is "new world" does NOT mean that it is
non-period for Europeans.

Especially for European colonists, explorers, conquistadores,
and similar folk it MUST be remembered that they ate and
adopted much of the local foods. Significant items were
sent back to the courts of Europe and entered into regular
cultivation fairly early on as well (significantly prior
to 1600CE). While many such items were centuries away from
regular appearances upon the commoner's table, others were
embraced quickly and widely.

In the Western Hemisphere (New World) colonies and camps,
it would have been ludicrous to insist only upon European
varieties & species, particularly when native peoples 
shared their knowledge of edible plants and animals.
(Sometimes only by force, but often as part of hospitality
and offered friendship.) 

While this may not satisfy certain purists among SCA cooks,
to ignore a food or preparation technique only upon a
"New World origin" basis is narrow-minded and counter-
productive.

Trying to pass off a given variety of New World squash
as dating to Roman tables would be just plain stupid.

===
Pax ... Kihe / Adieu -- Amra / TTFN -- Mike
Kihe Blackeagle / Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra /
Mike C. Baker
My opinions are my own -- no one else would want them!


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