SC - Eggplant was Re: SC- Poisonous Tomatoes

[Jenne Heise]

The Chinese yard-long bean and the cowpea (black-eyed pea) are both
varietals of Vigna unguiculata.  What appears to be black-eyed peas are
being eaten in the 16th Century painting, The Bean Eater.

If you examine the Latin text of Platina, he mentions both "faba" and
"phaseolus".  Platina is not using the Linnean taxonomy and is pre-Columbus,
so "phaseolus" is not being used to describe New World beans.  Modern
Italian lumps both New World beans and black-eyed peas under the term
"fasoli."  This suggests that Platina's use of "phaseolus" is to refer to
the varietals of Vigna unguiculata in use at the time.

Bear



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I agree that it was used in period, but I wonder if it had travelled to
Europe within our period?  And was it used in European cuisine?  I've never
seen any reference to it, but then I'm no expert and certainly have not
studied every single book that's out there.  Anyone know of such a thing? 
Kiri 

LrdRas at aol.com wrote: 
I still feel that the Chinese yard long bean (another non-phaseolus variety)

is another candidate. My reasons for this viewpoint are in the Flore-thingy.

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