SC - mushrooms

[Christine A Seelye-King]

>Though there is the example of the "condiment" thickener described by 
>la Varenne of mushrooms cooked way down and pureed (like a mire poix,
kinda). But then, that's not very medieval, is it? <snip>

On the Chieftan's album "An Evening Of Irish Music" (with guest stars
Roger Daltry and Nancy Griffith, great album)  there is a song that
describes a young girl out "gathering mush -a -rooms for her mother to
make a Ketchup-o".  This post got me wondering about the word Ketchup, so
I went looking.  I found NOTHING in Waverly Root, but did find this in
the OED:

Catsup; Catchup (1690) see Ketchup
Ketchup(1711) [app. ad. Chinese *koechiap* or *ke-tsiap* brine of pickled
fish.]  A sauce made from the juice of mushrooms, walnuts, tomatoes, etc.
 Often qualified, as 'mushroom k.', etc.
 (Which is why we call it "Tomato Catsup")
So if the usage of the word comes from the Chinese and the earliest
written doc. is from 1690,  one has to wonder where it came into use and
in what form (pickled fish?).  It sounds like the description above, but
did the term get applied to condiments/sauces that already existed?
HMMM, ...
	I think I'll have some fries now, 
	Christianna
	(*JOKE* What do you say to the Duke during the week?
		I'll have fries with that, your Grace!)

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