SC - Melons.

[Daniel Phelps]

Regarding the book referenced below I just happened to have it handy  it is
"The Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti"  Translated by Judith Spencer,
complete revised translation, Facts on File Publications NY, NY, /Bicester,
England copyright 1983 by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A.   English
translation 1984  Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A.   ISBN 0-8160-0138-3

This is a facsimile edition and translation of the 14th century Latin
manuscript known as the Tacuinum Sanitatis in Medicina.
Pages 34 and 35 depict three types of melons listed in the captions as
melon, watermelon and Watermelons from the east.  The first,  Melones
dulces, from the illustration and the test appears to be the elongated
ovidal alternating dark and light green stripped melons with red centers
that are one of the two related types of melons sold as water melons in the
States.

The second, Melones issipidi, appears to the second type of melon sold in
the States as water melons commonly referred to as cannon balls when I was a
child.  From the illustration they are round or roundish and about twice the
size of a mans head.  None were cut open in the illustration and the text
does not indicate the color of the flesh inside.  In the illustration they
are dark green with perhaps a hint of thin stripping.   The text repeats the
test for ripeness I heard as a child,  "Always choose really ripe
watermelons, which are recognizable by the sound obtained by tapping the
outside.

The third, Molones indi et palestini are slightly smaller in the
illustration than the second and are descriped in the text as being large,
sweet. and yellow.  The text suggests choosing large, very sweet watery
ones.  From the illustration they look a lot like cantalopes and it shows
someone sniffing one.

Incidentally it also shows something which they call pumpkins which are
elongated green squashes which have the shape of streached and slightly bent
pears but from the illustration are about the length of a man's arm. They
call it a Cucurbite.  It also shows dark purple aubergines (egeplant) which
they call Melongiana.

I hope this helps.

Daniel Raoul le Vascon du Navarre'
Shire of Sea March, Kingdom of Trimaris


- -----Original Message-----

From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
To: sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG <sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG>
Date: Saturday, February 27, 1999 2:08 PM
Subject: Re: SC - Melons.


>At 5:37 PM -0800 2/26/99, Huette von wrote:
>>In "The Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti" which
>>is a reprint of the "Tacuinum Sanitatis in Medicina"
>>which is a 14th century Italian/Latin health manual,
>>melons are depicted.  Unfortunately, I don't have
>>the book in front of me at the moment. (I am at
>>work.)  If you need more specifics, I will post them
>>here on Monday.
>
>The fact that something is in Tacuinum Sanitatis doesn't necessarily mean
>it was available in 14th c. Italy, since the text is translated (I believe)
>from the Arabic original. Some of the illustrations are pretty clearly by
>artists who had never seen the originals.
>
>I would check in Platina; I'm almost certain you will find melons.
>
>David Friedman
>Professor of Law
>Santa Clara University
>ddfr at best.com
>http://www.best.com/~ddfr/
>
>
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