SC - Black-eyed peas

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/6/98 8:11:09 AM Eastern Standard Time,
TerryD at Health.State.OK.US writes:

<< Since there are more varieties of beans than I have encountered, I leave
the
 question of precise identification open for further research.  
 
 Bear >>

This is one of the problems encountered in tracking down period food items.
Hybridization and genetic alteration has produced literaly thousands of
varieties and the origin of any sijngle variety is often obscure becuse of the
mass of records and breeding charts that have to be sifted through.

Of course, it helps in the case of black-eyed to realize that they are not
beans at all but are peas which resemble beans in form. Unfotunately peas have
been manipulated even more than beans so we will probably have to be content
to use what is available while understanding that the varieties we use may not
have been known in the Middle Ages.

Was there any accompanying text with the illustration that you cited which
could shed any light on the matter? My possible illumination of a long green
bean was merely a decorative element on the page and completely unrelated to
the text. :-(

Ras
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