SC - Food Ingredients Posting

[margali]

Stefan, the source was hidden here: "found it in the neighborhood of the
cherry tart recipes". The source is the same as for the cherry tart
recipes, mentioned at the bottom of the first recipe. Here it is again:

   The good huswifes handmaide for the kitchen (not dated, according
   to COPAC publ. in 1594). Ed. by Stuart Peachey. Bristol 1992.

Thanks for all the useful comments. According to the OED the "potaton
roote" can refer both to batatas and potatoes.
  ***
Re: aqua vitae. There is an important article by Gundolf Keil on "Der
deutsche Branntweintraktat des Mittelalters. Texte und Untersuchungen
[The German brandy treatise of the Middle Ages. Texts and
investigations]. In: Centaurus. International Journal of the History of
Science and Medicine 7 (1960) 53-100.

He says, that the medical use of brandy was made "allgemein bekannt"
('commonly known', in Germany, I think) by a latin treatise of Taddeo
Alderotti around 1280. During the following centuries this treatise was
further used in Germany, it was shortened, expanded or modified in many
ways. According to Keil, in the 14th and 15th century there were also
German brandy texts that went back to other sources. In any case: there
were many brandy treatises, of which some are edited in the article of
Keil.

Usually they mention medical uses ("Er ist auch gut für all wetagen der
zen", 'it is good for all sicknesses/ troubles of the teeth'). But there
are others. One passage, e.g., says that he who drinks brandy with two
parts of wine in the morning with an empty stomach "chan sein wort
dezster paz gereden, wo sein im not geschicht" '[who drinks brandy with
wine in the morning etc.] can put his words much better/can talk more
eloquently, in case he needs it'.

I append some references that contain or lead to Latin and German source
texts on brandy. There are other books on distillation and on the
medical uses of distilled products, but as far as I can see, the texts
of Gabriel Lebenstein, Michael Schrick and Hieronymus Brunschwig were
only about "gebrannte wasser", 'distilled herb waters', not about
brandy.

Best,
Thomas
- --Alderotti, Taddeo: Hg. von Karl Sudhoff und E.O. von Lippmann. In:
Archiv für Geschichte der Medizin 7 (1914) 379-389.
- --Kaiser, Rud.: Deutsche und lateinische Texte des 14. und 15.
Jahrhunderts über die Heilwirkungen des Weingeistes. Diss. (med.)
Leipzig 1925.
- --Keil, G.: Der deutsche Branntweintraktat des Mittelalters. Texte und
Quellenuntersuchungen. In: Centaurus 7 (1960) 53-100.
- --Rau, E.J.: Ärztliche Gutachten und Polizeivorschriften über den
Branntwein im Mittelalter. Diss. Leipzig 1914.
- --Schöppler, H.: Ein Lob des Branntweins aus dem 16. Jahrhundert. In:
Mitteilungen zur Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften 13
(1914) 443-444.

DISTILLATION of "gebrannte Wässer"
- --Brunschwig, H.: Ars destillandi, Oder DiestellierKunst (...) Vor
vielen Jahren/ von jhme dem Autore selbst in Truck verfärtiget (...) Nun
aber (...) auffs new vbersehen (...) vnd mit besserm Teutsch begabt.
Frankfurt a.M. 1610. Nachdruck Grünwald bei München o.J. [First ed.
1500]
- --Eis, G./ Vermeer, H.J.: Gabriel Lebensteins Büchlein "Von den
gebrannten Wässern". Stuttgart 1965.
- --Schrick, M.: Von allen geprenten wassern/ in welcher Maß man die
nützen vnd gebrauchen sol/ zu gesundheyt vnd fristung der gebrechen der
menschen. Nürnberg (Gutknecht) 1523. Nachdruck Schwäbisch Gmünd 1960.
[first ed. around 1477]