SC - Spices in cooking [was Jamaican Jerk (was jerked meat)]

[Gedney, Jeff]

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Par Leijonhufvud [SMTP:parlei at algonet.se]
> 
> On Wed, 15 Jul 1998, The Cheshire Cat wrote:
> 
> >    Excuse me for sounding a little uneducated here, but wasn't the
> rancid
> > meat the reason for all the spices and stuff.  At least that's what
> I
> > thought and what I seem to remember from Primary School (mind you,
> for
> > quite a while I fervently believed that EVERYTHING in the world had
> it's
> > beginnings either in Hong Kong or Taiwan)
> > Does anyone know if that is the case, and if not, what the reason is
> fopr
> > all the spices.  My uneducated punt is that it would be a show of
> how
> > wealthy the family was since I also seem to remember that spices
> were
> > fairly expensive.  Comments anyone?
> 
> We've been over this topic fairly thoroughtly in the past (I'm sure
> Stefan can point you to a file of his with the discussion archived).
> IIRC the concensus was that:
> 
> * no (sane) person can eat rancid meat. Meat that is a bit off
> perhaps,
>   but not rancid. Leave some on the counter and see how long you would
>   be able to get it down. Once it is bad, it's bad.
> 
> * there were, during the medieval period, regulations that stipulated
>   how long the butcher could keep his meat before either selling or
>   disposing of it. 
> 
> * the segement of society most likely to encounter meat that had gone
>   bad would not have been able to afford expensive spices. Local
> herbs,
>   mustard, and horseradish perhaps, but not the imported stuff.
> 
> * not everything you were told in primary school is true.
> 
> I'm sure those more knowledgeable than me can fill in the details.
> 
Reasons for use of spices in the middle ages:

1) They were expensive, and had to be imported, so spiced foods were a
way of showing off how rich you are (if you are rich)
2) THEY MAKE THINGS TASTE GOOD
3) They were expensive, and had to be imported, so spiced foods were a
way of showing your guests how much you though of them (if you are not
so rich)
4) THEY MAKE THINGS TASTE GOOD
5) Crusaders got used to the spiced foods in the Middle East, and
brought back those preferences, and spices, with them.
6) THEY MAKE THINGS TASTE GOOD


Brandu

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