SC - Re: Limes

[grasse at mscd.edu]

Grettings again,

I have another question before I try to answer further... If the Spanish 
(whom I would consider European) introduced the lime to the west Indies - 
where did they get it from?

As promised I did some further rummaging in Rumpolt, as well as in Cerruti, 
Gerard, and some others.  

Rumpolt (as I am sure you are familiar with) has (in the section on sauces? 
- - have only had him 2 {filled with mundane and prior commitments} weeks, so 
I have not yet explored him fully) 2 recipes specific to Zitron and 1 for 
Limonien (I double checked the spellings he uses, my original spellings 
were in error.)    

In my translation I will use the word lemon, though for the argument one 
could also use the word citron - Marx does not speak of cooking either and 
I do not know if raw citron is (was?) palatable?

#6 uses "breit geschnitten zitron mit weissem zucker bestrauet/ fein gut 
und wohl geschmack"  (thick?) cut lemons sprinkled with white sugar/ fine 
good and well tasty.

#7 uses "klein gehackt zitron mit weissem zucker der wohl gestossen ist 
abgemacht"
 small (finely) chopped lemon seasoned with well crushed white sugar.

#23 states "nim saur frishe limonien wals gie das sie weich werden/ 
schneidt sie von einander und druck den saft herauss/ tue die kern davon/ 
mach ab mit zimmet und zucker/ so ists gut un wohlgeschmack/ du kanst auch 
solchen saft der lecker (?sorry can't read my scribbles this morning) ist 
sieden lassen mit gelautertem zucker un wen er fein dick gesotten so kan 
man zum braten brauchen
My interpretation is (though for arguments sake insert lemon instead of 
lime if you wish)
take sour limes, roll (I am guessing walg equates to welz - to roll- 
rolling on the counter ) so they become soft, cut them apart and squeeze 
the juice from them, remove the seeds, then season with cinnamon and sugar 
so that it is good and tasty.  You can also also take such (tasty?) juice 
(before or after seasoning I can't tell) and simmer it with (gelaeutertem - 
another I'm not sure word) sugar and when it has become fine and thick so 
use it for a roast.  I assume to accompany like a jelled sauce.

I would love to experiment with the above recipies using lemons, limes and 
citrons, to see how they react and taste using his techniques, but  I have 
no clue where in Denver (CO, US) to obtain fresh citron...
My thought being that if fresh citron is inedible raw chopped with sugar 
then Zitron should equate to Lemon, but the cooked thickened stuff would 
probably taste well made with either lemon or lime, so it would probably 
not prove anything. (besides I still wouldn't know how it would taste with 
period grown lemons/citrons/limes...)

The other thing that led me to make the equations I have made (Zitron = 
lemon; Limionen = lime) rather than Zitron = citron and Limione = lemon is 
that Limione =lemon is using English words; (the modern German  is Zitrone 
= lemon; Limone/Limette = lime. )  Rumpolt is writing German,  when he 
speaks of preparing Star he is not writing of cooking celestial bodies but 
of using starling - a small domestic song bird.  Most of the ingredients he 
uses sound out into the modern German words.  Certainly not definitive 
proof, but that is how I arrived at my assumption.

I am not aware of a German OED (OGD??? ;-)) but if one is found I would be 
thrilled!  I believe the main branch of the local library has some middle 
German reference books, and I will endeavor to visit them soon.

Gwen-Cat
Caerthe

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