SC - chestnut meal

[Stefan li Rous]

In reading "Food and Drink in Medieval Poland" I came across some 
interesting comments about some spices I had not heard before.

p41:
This paragraph is about the middle to late 1300s.
He mentions the importation of two sorts of galingale ("lesser",.
Alpina officinarum, and "greater", Alpina galanga).

Have other folks seen mention of two types of galingale? Which one
is the one sold today as galingale? both? Any idea what the differances
are?

All the spices in this list were apparently imported through Cyprus.

He also mentions Cypriot "monk's pepper" the seed of agnia or chaste
tree (Vitex agnus castus). "The pepper was added to monastic dishes to
suppress venery or sexual desire."

Anyone have any more on this or similar spices? I've got a little bit
on period aphrodisiacs. This is the first time I think I've heard of
a period spice being used to achieve the opposite effect.

Hmmm. Maybe that's the solution for the SCA-Cook's list baby boom? :-)
- -- 
Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas           stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:
         http://lg_photo.home.texas.net/florilegium/index.html ****
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