SC - European Food

[Varju@aol.com]

> I don't have any idea where the original documents are, but
> there seems to be a lot of coherent statements floating about
> that supports a widespead acceptance in the early 16th century
> in certain regions.
> 
> Akim Yaroslavich
> "No glory comes without pain"

I'm more inclined to accept the widespread use of turkeys over the
widespread use of potatoes.  The documentation I've come across tends to
show a limited role for the potato until the 18th Century.  On the other
hand, there are a number of written and artistic references to turkeys from
the late 16th Century.

I'm interested in the original documents for Catherine's feast, because:

I have two differing accounts and I want to know which is accurate, if
either.

I want to know if the prices quoted in Flandrin's Intro are from the same
document, a different document, or from different documents.  The first case
ties the feast and the prices together, which would suggest the turkey was
being commercially bred in France at that point.  The second case makes the
same point for the time when the price list was written.  The third case
simply records market fluctuations at its strongest.


I've reviewed Tannehill, Trager, and Toussaint-Samat and while they express
the opinion the turkey was widely adopted early, they present little proof
for the assertion.  The original documentation in this case should help
support their assertions.

Bear