What They Ate (was Re: SC - Hedgehogs)

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

I went back to the "Arte Cisoria" to see what else the 15th century 
Spanish deemed edible.  Here is the list, for those who are curious.  
A few of the terms remain untranslated.  Words in [brackets] are my 
comments/elaborations.

 Of the birds: peacocks, pheasants, francolins; and of these there are
 an abundance in Aragon; cranes, geese, bustards, ducks, moor-cocks,
 partridges, linnets, doves, wild pigeons, turtledoves, quail, coots,
 seagulls, throstles, thrushes, widgeons, swallows, roosters, capons,
 pullets, hens, chickens, bitterns, lavancos [variety of wild duck],
 anderomias [a gray-and-white variety of duck], herons, sparrows,
 crested larks, and those which are similar to these in their flavors
 and constitution. Of the four-footed animals: oxen, cows, wild oxen;
 these are found in Granada: deer and fallow-deer, fawns, roe-deer,
 gazelles; these are also found in Granada; hares, rabbits, mountain
 goats; young hares, boars, suckling pigs, kids, sheep, ewes,
 he-goats, jerboas; these are found in Mallorca; camels, otters,
 hedgehogs, badgers, she-goats and those of this nature and those of
 similar constitution. Of the fish: whales, red-mullet, solrayo [type
 of ray], needlefish, pollack, conger-eel, moray eel, hake, turbot,
 percebe [mollusk common on coast of Galicia], mosello, sole,
 flounder, salmons, pike, gilt-head, eels, gudgeons, ralla [ray?],
 cuttlefish, octopus, tunny, dolphins, shad, sea-bream, red sea-bream,
 barbels, trout, ox-eye cackerels, sardines, lamprey, minnows,
 torquellas [some kind of marine fish], lobsters, prawns, crawfish,
 sabogas [species of shad], yellow mackerel, loaches, flying fish,
 mullet, gatos [?] and those which closely resemble them; likewise the
 shellfish; such as oysters, mussels, tellinas [a kind of mussel],
 shrimp and the like.  Of the reptiles, snails and freshwater
 tortoises and such. Of the fruits which are cut and peeled and
 divided: melons, citrons, cucumbers, snake cucumbers, pomegranates,
 figs, black figs, grapefruits, oranges, lemons, pears, lemons, apple
 pears, quince pears, peaches, priscos [variety of peach], walnuts,
 chestnuts, hazelnuts, acorns, pine nuts, pistachios, and those of
 that class. Of the herbs: cardon artichokes, wild artichokes,
 lechares [category of plants which exude sap or "milk"],
 great-mullein, spear-plume thistle, carrots, lettuce, turnips,
 onions, garlic, scallions, mallows, nettles, borage, asedias [? This
 word appears above in the fish list as "flounder".  Scribal error?],
 purslane, capers, cabbages, leaf-beets, parsley, annual clary sage,
 celery, fennel, anise, caraway, mustard, cumin, rocket and those of
 that quality.

Brighid, who will probably not be serving jerboa or badger at her 
next feast


Lady Brighid ni Chiarain of Tethba
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
mka Robin Carroll-Mann *** harper @ idt.net
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