SC -spice and economics and Khazars

[Alderton, Philippa]

Bear skrev:

>There are a number of references which suggest the spice trade did not
>disappear, but continued through Byzantium into Europe at a slower and more
>costly pace.

As I'm learning more about my adopted people, the Khazars, I've doscovered
that through the MA they were in control of the Silk Road, running up behind
Byzantium, up through the Russias, into Kiev and beyond into Scandanavia,
into Birka. I'd be vary interested in seeing some period recipes from that
area- Par? Nanna?- if we can find any, because it would seem to me that
spices, being light and compact, and easily transportable on horseback,
would be reflected at least in the feast foods of the nobility and wealthy.
I'm working on the foods of the Khazars themselves, but so far haven't had
much luck- we know what they ate, but not, so far, how they cooked it.
Thomas- do you have any insights or sources?

Most of my Khazar information is dealing with the period after their
conversion to Judaism, so it's safe to assume they ate Kosher, but exactly
what is in question. That's part of why I've been so interested in Paul's
Soup for the Qan, since the Khazars were a Turkic people, but it will
definitely have to come down in price before I can even think about it. Paul
did tell me though, when I was asking about Turkic words for "course" that
the Turks, as a general rule, ate one pot meals, thus having no word for
course- Adamantius, as you look through your copy, could you look for
anything which might be older, or possibly related to things the Khazars
might have eaten?

Paul, I'm ccing this over to you, in case you might have some insights, too.
Keep in mind, I'm doing Khazars about 500 CE, before they became a Kingdom,
while they were still nomads near the Caucasian mountains, but later stuff
would be interesting also.


Phlip

Nolo disputare, volo somniare et contendere, et iterum somniare.

phlip at morganco.net

Philippa Farrour
Caer Frig
Southeastern Ohio

"All things are poisons.  It is simply the dose that distinguishes between a
poison and a remedy." -Paracelsus

"Oats -- a grain which in England sustains the horses, and in
Scotland, the men." -- Johnson

"It was pleasant to me to find that 'oats,' the 'food of horses,' were
so much used as the food of the people in Johnson's own town." --
Boswell

"And where will you find such horses, and such men?" -- Anonymous