SC - Tomatoes

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

"J. Steve Hamaker" wrote:
> 
> If tomatoes are period for southern Italy and highly used in the 15th
> century how come I can not find period recipes for using tomatoes
> in English or French?
> Any help appreciated.

Probably because tomatoes were eaten rarely or never in period England
and France. As has been suggested elsewhere, tomatoes probably were
introduced into Italy by the Spanish in one of the various instances of
joined kingdoms, and while they probably did become a standard food item
in Italy long before it did in some other places, bear in mind that the
places where it took hold relatively early are all good places to grow
tomatoes. Basically the Mediterranean Basin, which doesn't include
England or much of France.  

It's also possible that some suspicion on the part of the
medical/scientific community existed and was reflected in the recipes of
the nobility, which often are the recipes that tend to survive in
written, primary-source form.

Do you have some citation for the claims that tomatoes _were_ used in
period Southern Italy or highly used in the 15th century, or growing
wild in England? I haven't seen any myself. 16th-century Spain, yes.

I'm sorry people didn't get back to you sooner...you seem to have really
needed this question answered. I hope the answers have ultimately been helpful.

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================