SC - Switch to herb use from noble spices

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/18/98 8:05:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time, troy at asan.com
writes:

<< I would have said thyme also, but for the fact that comparatively few
 period recipes call for it. Surprising, but apparently the case. I'm
 sure there are some, but there don't seem to be many that mention it
 specifically. Offhand I can't recall any. It could have been used in one
 of the recipes that call for "all mannere of green herbes", I suppose.  >>

I agree. Several times it has been mentioned on the list that the style period
cookery changed dramatically after 1450. That change involved to a large
degree the disappearance of saffron, galingal, cubebs, and other "noble"
spices from the body of regular cookery. It occurs to me that this time is
history was about the time that a general disregard for nobility in general
became widespread finally culminating in the overthrow or reduction of power
among nobility. 

Actually this makes some sense seeing as how the commoners would have general
access to most herbs-savory, basil, thyme, oregano, etc. I would even go so
far as to state that the surviving recipes from post-1450 for a large part
would have been indicative of what peasants (at least those employed or
holders of minute amounts of land would have eaten.

All of this means that is it possible that the existentence of recipes
post-1450 C.E. which rarely use noble spices could give us an insight into
common cookery pre-1450? Intrigueing , if not provable.

Ras
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