SC - RE: sca-cooks V1 #2436

[Jenne Heise]

> << Hm. I had them grind scented spices together to make a powder that they
>  mixed with corn starch to make a scented powder to take home.  >> 
> I'm sure it was. What evidence do you have that cornstarch was even remotely 
> used in SCA period? Isn't such a substitute for whatever was actually used 
> not a little deceptive in presenting historical information to the public?

Well, Ras, if I claimed that it was a period ingredient rather than a
substitute for orris root which is too expensive to give away, and if I
actually told the kids they were making a 'real medieval' thing, it
certainly would be deceptive. 

In the case I was mentioning, it was a pretty much spur of the moment
thing-- the kids were mushing things in the mortar and I asked them if
they wanted to take it home; they wanted to know what they could do with
it, so I showed them a powder made with orris root that I had, and said
that I did not have orris root to give away but I could give them some
corn starch which wasn't medieval. Maybe it was deceptive, Ras. I probably
won't do that again. 

For an organized craft activity involving mortar and pestle that is quite
affordable and can be documented to 1606, you can try this recipe from
_Ram's Little Dodoen_:

"Take drie rose leaves keep them in a glasse which will keep them sweet
and then take powder of mynte, powder of cloves in a grosse
     powder, and putte the same to the Rose leves thanne putte all these
togyther in a bagge and Take that to bedde with you and it wyll
     cause you to sleepe and it is goode to smelle unto at other tymes."

Make up the bags ahead of time, and bring ground cloves and dried roses
and mint. Have the kids grind up the mint and add the ground cloves, then
mix it with roses and put in one of the bags and tie with a ribbon or sew
shut.

BTW, Ras, that lack of documentation that I found in response to your
question about medieval potsmoking has come in very handy for demos with
older teens.

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise	      jenne at tulgey.browser.net
disclaimer: i speak for no-one and no-one speaks for me.
   "My hands are small I know, but they're not yours, they are my own"