SC - Quantities of salt and spices used.

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/1/99 10:52:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,
jlmatterer at labyrinth.net writes:

<< He claims that after traveling
 via merchant's routes into Europe, the aging process and improper
 storage conditions would decrease the flavor and strength of spices.
 What would seem like a huge quantity for us to use would actually be
 needed to acquire the right taste and flavor. >>

I agree with you 100 per cent. I have had spices that, left whole, were stored
in proper conditions for several years and they don't lack potency to any
degree which would effect quantities used in cooking.

Over spicing of period foods is one of the hardest myths perpetuated by early
researchers in medieval cooking to overcome. That and the rotten/rancid meat
hogwash that early researchers used to justify their false theories of spice
usage. My suggestion to people beginnig to learn period cookery is to study
Middle Eastern, Portuguese, Spanish, Indian and possibly Greek and Italian
cooking to get a feel for what amounts of spices to use when redacting since
those cuisines are remarkably similar in flavor, IMO, to many of the medieval
recipes I have personally redacted. Other than the inclusion of some New World
foods, their basic recipes and techniques have remained largely unchanged for
hundreds of years and are an excellent place to start upon the road to the
fascinating world of medieval cuisine.

Ras
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