SC - Frumenty - ANOTHER question!

[Decker, Terry D.]

> except for the philosophical 
> debate that arose over whether wheat berries, cracked wheat or bulgur 
> would have been a closer texture match to what period diners would have 
> gotten/expected.  
> 
> That is, chewey whole grain kernels in sauce, or flavored mush.
> 
I've used whole berry, cracked wheat and fine flour to produce various
cooked grain dishes.  I would expect the cook to choose the form of the
grain to produce the intended taste and texture.

> We prepared 4 versions, 3 with wheat berries, and one with cracked wheat, 
> which may have turned out mushier than if we'd used "bulgur" -- cracked 
> wheat and bulgur -are- two different things, yes?  We're assuming bulgur 
> is to cracked wheat sort of like steel-cut oats oatmeal is to rolled oats 
> oatmeal, and are going to check by doing a set for next meeting.
> 
Not exactly.  Cracked wheat is made from wheat berries which have been dried
and ground.  For bulgur wheat, the berries are parboiled, dried and ground.
In both cases, whole berries, including the germ, are used and the meal is
sieved into 3 or 4 grades, #1-Fine, #2-Medium, #3-Coarse and #4-Extra
Coarse.

The chief difference is the bulgur wheat, having been pre-cooked, softens
and cooks up quickly, while whole grain and cracked wheat reallny need to
soak overnight and cook for a long time.

#1 and #2 bulgur are commonly used in tabouleh, while #3 and #4 are used to
replace rice in pilafs.  

> And someone raised the side issue that the common commercial wheat 
> berries that we used were probably a hard wheat, where most of the period 
> European stuff was a soft variety.  Whether this is a distinction we can 
> expect to impose on hotel cooks (Double Tree) may make this a moot point, 
> but it was raised.  Although in -this- town, we probably have a 
> reasonably good chance of their finding it if they look for it, at least.
> 
Hard and soft should have no bearing on cooked grain (except that soft may
be a little sweeter).  I tend to use hard red winter wheat berries for whole
grain wheat, because they are inexpensive and easy to obtain. 

The common wheat in medieval Europe was emmer (Triticum dicoccum) which was
a soft wheat.  Spelt (Triticum spelta) was less common and is a hard wheat.
So either may have been available, although spelt was more common in Central
Europe.  

> So, there's another couple of questions!  Who woulda thunk it!
> 
> Thanks, & looking forward to erudition, enlightenment, etc., 8-),
> Chimene & Gerek
> 
Bear
============================================================================

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".

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