SC - Food migration

[Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir]

Liam Fisher wrote:
> 
> ><< This was brownish in color and available in 'loafs' that were shaped
> >something >>
> 
> The above sounds like a sugar loaf in the early refining techniques.
> 
> >There are several references to 'white' sugar in Le Manegier. Where did the
> >idea that sugar was brown in period come from? I have seen no period
> >references describing it as anything other than white.
> 
> Hmm...anyone have any documentation on period sugar refining techniques?

There's a fair amount of evidence that suggests sugar was sold in
several grades, some of which were far from white. What was called white
sugar may not even have been white, just as what was sold as black sugar
was probably darkish brown, as opposed to white sugar, which may well
have been a sort of light straw color. Medieval Europeans weren't as
specific about colors as we tend to be nowadays. For example, oranges
were sometimes described as "golden", etc.

There are numerous period recipes for confections whose processes begin
with clarifying the sugar, by melting it in a syrup and clarifying it
with egg whites, something like consomme, for those that have done that.
There are also similar processes described as stand-alone methods for
clarifying sugar.
  
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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