SC - Re:New World Foods-list penguins are period

[Jeff Gedney]

> << Penguins are period.
> 
> There is a citation by English seafarers that saw and ate penguins.  I do not 
> have the source handy, buy one of our members used it to pass his device.
> 
> Frederich


I believe I saw this while reading Hakluyt's "Voyages". 
My impression was that this was after 1600. I'll check out the reference this weekend.
I may be mistaken, but IIRC, the English did not have much todo with the Southern 
oceans ( where most penguins are found ) until _very late_ in period.

The impression I recieved from reading the logs of John Davis is that the English 
tended to eat everything that moved, whenever they could. There was much 
made of the taste (and penile anatomy) of the dogs of the indigeonous people of 
Newfoundland, and the islands of the Davis Strait.
Keep in mind that this lack of gastronomic disctretion was often because the stored 
food needed refreshing as often as possible on long voyages, and starvation and 
scurvy were constant companions.
If they thought it possible they would have eaten rocks. 
References to the eating of things by Sailors, especially those on long voyages, should 
NEVER be taken as an implication that these items were ever a part of the common 
cuisine of Nobles, or indeed of any but sailors facing the harsh reality of starvation.
How often do we read of Sailors cannabalizing the dead, or their prisoners? We do 
not interpret this to mean that _People_ were a regular part of the Typical 
Rennaissance larder. ( no comments from the usual suspects, please, we had the 
"long pig" discussion last year =:-o  )
 

brandu