SC - RE calendula for saffron

[LrdRas]

In a message dated 4/18/98 8:25:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Kallyr at aol.com
writes:

<<  I read
 that calendula flowers were used in period, dried, as a substitute for
 saffron. >>

Waverly Root reports the same thing.  He attributes it to and quotes from the
writings of Alexander Dumas (19th century, IIRC).  Dumas maintains that
because saffron was so expensive that calendula flowers were used as a
substitute for saffron for COLORING.  Root seems to take it with a grain of
salt.  Dumas gave no references for his conclusions other than he basically
"thought" it made sense to him.  Alexander Dumas' work is so riddled with
errors, misinformation and conjecture that it is, to all intent and purposes,
completely useless to the serious student of the culinary arts except as a
wonderful example of poor scholarship.

Root also goes on to say that the reason for saffron falling out of use with
the NOBILITY was because that once France started growing it, it became less
expensive and within the means of the common person.  He says that since
saffron was no longer prestigious and precious the nobility considered it to
be "ordinary."  Other foods also followed this rise and fall in popularity
among the nobility, for instance haricot beans and petite peas late in period.

Other food differences between nobility and commoners were even more
noticeable.  For example, we find very few, if any, recipes for pulses or dark
breads which were the staples of the common folk.  Venison recipes abound
because only noblemen were allowed to hunt deer.

IMO, when studying period cookbooks, we must always make an effort to remind
ourselves that the vast majority, if not all, of extant recipes were
specifically tailored toward the wealthy.  Most certainly the concept of
feasts with their attendant sotleties, illusion foods, gilding, etc., were the
exclusive privilege of nobility.

Ras
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