SC - Re: Baconn'd Herring - long

[LrdRas@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/13/98 10:26:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, stefan at texas.net
writes:

<< However, even if they did have substantial fat,
 what evidence do you have that they were raised specifically or chiefly for 
 the lard?
  >>

I am hesitant to delve into the area of animal husbandry on this list for two
reasons.

The first reason is that most of the people on this list are from a
suburban/urban background and animal husbandry is a subject which would take
months of discussion. It is a whole area of study which would be more
apporpriate for a list of it's own. To try to teach people farming from the
ground up is a task which is dauntimg at the least.

The second reason is that I posted the information about pig raising and the
history of pigs quite a long time ago with references. Frankly, I do not save
my own posts. Since the information on pig history was an answer to a question
posed on the list and references were given, I had assumed that anyone even
remotely interested in the subject would seek out those references and read
them. I had also assumed you had archived the pig post.

Anyway, here is the reference that will start you on your way to a complete
knowldge of pig history:  (REF: The 1975 USDA Agricultural Yearbook (That We
May Eat), "Streamlining the Hog, an Abused Individual by Ruth Steyn;
pgs.133-138) 

I am sorry if I appear to be grumpym in this post, but, IMO, the use of lard
is self evident with only a cursory glance at period recipes. When the entire
body of extant cookery manuals and agricultural tracts are taken into
consideration the evidence is overwhelming. 

Frankly, England is a tiny part of Europe and isolation makes it relatively
unique in many ways when compared to the rest of medieval world. I don't think
it's history is that of the rest of Europe. It's culinary practices certainly
are not a basis for extrapolating widespread customs in France, Italy, Germany
or Spain for that matter. Medieval society was agriculturally based and in the
modern MA, not a few of us have totally lost connection with what that means.

To start you on your way look for words such as 'grece', 'whyt grece',
'larding'', etc.

Ras (who really needs a cup of coffee and a chill pill today. :-())
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