SC - Things to bring to Pennsic

[Stephanie Rothgeb]

>
> >>But doesn't bottled food coloring do the same thing?  Saffron is
<big snip> not successfully recreate the dish flavor to much accuracy.


- ---marilyn traber <mtraber at email.msn.com> wrote:
 
> My point was that none of the recipes redacted that have saffron say
> anything about the taste, many only refer to coloring the recipe with
> various substances like saunders and saffron, alkanet and others
>mentioned at various times. Mostly when there is reference to flavor,
>it is to make bitter, sweet, sour or savory-and not referring to
>saffron, saunders and the like but to use peppers, cinnamon,
galengale >and the like. 
> 
> I definitely agree that the lesser affluent didn't get into the
>cookbook game until way late, when there was an interest in flavor
>substitutions for the more expensive goodies-after all, hopping beers
>in the European fashion was frowned upon in the Isles until fairly
>late-bittering was accomplished with various gruitt blends.
> 
> margali


M'lady, 

You have just sparked a new light for me with this hops thread of
thought!  Hops were developed as a bittering alternative to gruits as
the latter was controlled and mandated by the church.  Their decreased
use was a political and economic statement by the common many.  They
later found that it gave longer preservative effect and offered more
stable bittering qualities.

Perhaps it is just that concept which led people to or from Saffron
and the various alternatives in various regions.  Sure, cost was a
definite factor for the 'gilded' crocus stamen, but also maybe
contempt for aristocracy or political extremism/strife in given areas.

I missed your point a bit about coloring as the primary derivative of
a given herb or spice.  My question becomes one of whether or not it
was just a 'given' that certain flavor characteristcs would come along
'for the ride' so to speak.  We modern hash slingers know that you get
distinctive flavor when you put saffron into a dish...give or take
quantity, same with saunders (woody dry character) or hops.  Kind of
like bread recipes.....everyone knows who needs to know, so why waste
writing it down.

The concept of using wonderous saffron as solely a coloring agent with
no thought to flavor is a bit foreign to me and my little myopic
world. I'm getting better, and thank you for continuing to challenge
my concepts and beliefs.

niccolo
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