SC - Mid Lent 2000

[RuddR@aol.com]

Allison said way back in digest 2041:

<< The Stuttgarter Kochkolleg gives the possible origin as 13th C.,
derived from Italian workers who brought their favorite pasta recipes
with them to Germany.  The Italian word, _spezzatina_, refers to little
cuttings of noodle dough. >>

and more recently asked:

<< Is the Cooking College wrong, too? >>

I do not know what evidence they have, but if I should place a bet, I
would say they are wrong, for two reasons:

- -- true, there were many Italian workers in Germany in the 20th century,
but, as far as I can say, in earlier centuries, it was the other way
round: the Germans went to Italy, in most cases to do business or to
learn business stuff from the Italians, some went there for cultural
reasons, too (Goethe, Dürer, ...). From the 14th century onwards,
several German trade companies from Ravensburg, Nuremberg or Augsburg
had close connections with Italy, and there was even a 'German center'
(Fondaco dei Tedeschi) in Venice.

- -- I did a limited search in the dictionaries and the cookbooks, but I
did not find any evidence that there is an Italian word _spezzatina_,
refering to a sort of noodle.
+ I looked up the word in a small italian dictionary, then in the Bulle/
Rigutini dictionary (that usually also mentions earlier meanings) and in
the etymological dictionary of Italian by Cortelazzo & Zolli. There is
only _spezzatino_ in the sense of 'Gulasch' (pieces of meat ...).
+ In addition, I looked up some old Italian cookbooks and foodbooks: the
Anonimo Veneziano text, the Anonimo meridionale B, Martino, the
Manoscritto Lucano, the work of Catricalà on Messi Sbugo, the work of
Frosini on the food of the "Priori" of Florence for words beginning with
"spe". There were NO spezzatine and no spezzatini.

Please note: I am not saying that Spätzle are not period, but I must say
that up to now I know of no evidence that they are. Certainly, I will be
happy if we finally find a recipe... Let's keep our eyes open.

Now, this is a somewhat sceptic mail, I know. So here comes a small add
on about ale (15th century):

"   Bryng vs in good ale, and bryng vs in good ale!
    ffore owr blyssyd lady sak, bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no browne bred, for (th)at is mad of brane;
Nor bryng vs in no whyt bred, fore (th)erin is no game;
But bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no befe, for (th)er is many bonys;
But bryng vs in good ale, for (th)at goth downe at onys;
And bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no bacon, for (th)at is passyng fate;
But bryng vs in god ale, and gyfe vs inough of (th)at,
and bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no mutton, for (th)at is ofte lene;
Nor bryng vs in no trypys, for (th)ei be syldom clene,
But bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no capon flesch, for (th)at is ofte der;
Nor bryng vs in no dokes flesch, for (th)ei slober in (th)e mer,
But bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no eggys, for (th)er ar many schelles;
But bryng vs in good ale, and gyfe vs no(th)ing ellys,
And bryng vs in good ale!"
(Source: Rolf Kaiser, Medieval English, Berlin 1961, p. 478)

Best,
Thomas
(Cockayne's "Leechdoms, wortcunning..." was originally published London
1864-66, it seems.)