Salsa (was Re: SC - Lemonade in Sent Sovi??)
harper at idt.net
harper at idt.net
Mon Nov 13 20:40:50 PST 2000
Okay, maybe a recipe for tomato-based salsa isn't too outrageously OOP
after all....
I was looking at a text in the Virtual Cervantes library, a history of the
exploration of New Spain by Francisco Cervantes de Salazar. I don't
know when it was written, but Salazar died in 1575.
http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/servlet/SirveObras/45201728150540421263
8516/index.htm
He says, in the chapter on plants of the New World:
"El agí sirve de especia en estas partes; es caliente, ayuda a la digestión
y a la cámara; es apetitoso, y de manera que los más guisados y salsas
se hacen con él; usan dél no menos los españoles que los indios. Hay
unos agíes colorados y otros amarillos; éstos son los maduros, porque
los que no lo son, están verdes, hay unos que queman más que otros.
Los tomates son mayores que agraces; tienen su sabor, aunque no tan
agrio; hay unos del tamaño que dixe, y otros grandes, mayores que
limas, amarillos y colorados; échanse en las salsas y potajes para
templar el calor del agí."
"The chile serves as spice in these regions; it is hot, aids the digestion,
and the evacuation of stool; it is appetizing, and in such a manner that
most of the stews and sauces are made with it; the Spaniards use it no
less than the Indians. There are some red chiles, and others which are
yellow; these are the mature ones, for those which are not [mature] are
green, there are some which burn more than the others. The tomatoes
are bigger than unripe grapes, they have their [same] flavor, although not
as sour; there are some which are the size I said, and others that are big,
larger than limes, yellow ones and red ones; they cast them in the sauces
and pottages to temper the heat of the chile."
He also talks about how they make tortillas out of corn, so maybe chips
are too farfetched, either.
But it's still not from Sent Sovi, nor is this evidence that they were eating
such things on the other side of the Atlantic.
Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net
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