SC - Rarity of Fermentation recipes (was Fermented BeverageR ecipe Question(was:RE: SC - Mic.....)

[Gedney, Jeff]

At 8:37 AM -0500 6/9/98, Norman White wrote:

>The one period document that I have on my book shelves which mentions
>sassafras is Harriot (1590 edition) which has in the chapter listing
>merchantable commodities a section entitled "Sassafras" which states:
>" Sassafras, called by the inhabitants Winauk, a kinde of wood of most
>pleasand and sweete smel; and of most rare vertues in phisick for the cure
>of many diseases.  It is found by experience to bee farre better and of
>more uses then the wood which is called Guaiacum, or Lignu vitae.  For the
>description of using and the manifolde vertues thereof, I referre you to
>the book of Monardus, translated and entituled in English, The ioyfull
>newes from the West Indies."
>My memory (meaning I can not find my copy of the book I believe was called
>Richard Hakluyt's "Principal navigations") is that the other reports of
>the area now called eastern North Carolina describe the explorers eating
>the leaves in a soup in a manner much as the cajuns use it as filet but
>only because they were starving.  In any case the plant was well known to
>the explorers prior to their coming to the new world and apparently
>already of commercial importance otherwise they would not have mentioned
>it so prominently in the book.

I don't understant that final point. Unless we actually have a mention of
the use of the Chinese version, why isn't the evidence consistent with the
explorers coming across the New World version, being told by the locals
that it was good for what ails you, and taking it up?

Especially since:

>Hylton (1974) wrote that "Columbus is said to have sensed the nearness of
>land from the strong smell of sassafras.  Its formal discovery is
>generally attriburted to the Spaniards exploring Florida.  The tree and
>tales of its values learned from Indians were carried to Eurpoe.
>Ultimately, sassafras became one of the first commercial exports from the
>new land."

Any way, thanks for adding some information to the discussion. None of it
seems to imply that it would have been used as an ordinary drink, although
it seems clear that it was used medically a little before 1600.

David/Cariadoc
http://www.best.com/~ddfr/


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