SC - vermillion

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/29/99 2:25:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
renfrow at skylands.net writes:

<< How was this vermillioning done?  (My copy is very hard to read, & there is
 no index.) Did they use kermes?  If so, is there a reference in this book
 to kermess & how it is prepared?
 
 regards, >>

I have no idea BUT it is in keeping with the Arabic derivation of the word. 
The word kermess is directly derived from the Arabic qirmiz. The meanings are 
identical in the they both refer to the scale insect that lives on the 
Mediterranean oak and is used to make red dye. Since the big red food 
coloring scare and subsequent banning of certain types there has been a 
return to red dyes made from scale insects in the current middle ages and 
these culinary dyes are derived for the most part from insects.

Interesting research topic. Thanks, Cindy. :-).

Ras
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