[Sca-cooks] Coffee comment was (Question to the List - Sweet Turkish Crescent s)

[Decker, Terry D.]

The tale about Europe getting coffee from the Turks via the Siege of Vienna
occurs because people confuse the Siege of 1529 with the Siege of 1683.
This error occurs in a number of (supposed) "histories" of coffee.

In 1529, coffee was realtively new to the Ottoman Empire and Constatinople
which suggests that coffee would have been in short supply outside of
Vienna.  The Turks were defeated by an early onset of extreme winter weather
and retreated in good order despite heavy casualties.  In 1683, they were
routed and fled, leaving their baggage on the field.

According to tradition, Georg Franz Kolschitsky, a Polish adventurer, who
had lived among the Turks and was serving as a courier and scout between
Vienna and the relieving Polish army, took as his wages the coffee beans
left by the Turks in the rout and opened "Zur blauen Flasche," the first
coffeehouse in Vienna during the winter of 1683.

The first officially recorded coffeehouse in Vienna was opened by Johannes
Deodat in 1685.

Coffee had been known in Italy for over 100 years prior to the Viennese
coffeehouses and at least one Italian coffeehouse predates them.  The Royal
Society was organized in an early English coffeehouse about 1660 and was
granted a Royal charter in 1662.

So much for getting coffee from the 1683 Siege of Vienna.

Bear

> Unfortunately I cannot help you with the
> crescents, but the siege of Vienna in 1683 has a
> legendary status as a contact point of cultures
> second perhaps only to Marco Polo. Depending on
> sources we're supposed to have gotten coffee,
> persipan, marching bands and home carpeting that
> day. Given that the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires
> shared a border for well over 300 years, and that
> this was never anything like the iron curtain (in
> fact trade between the Ottoman Empire and all of
> Europe was lively) it would be quite a coincidence
> if a given specialty hadn't made it across
> before.
>
> I also take the liberty of doubting the periodness
> of any recipe involving modern chocolate.
>
> (Actually I think I know the kind of pastry you
> are looking for. Could it be called 'Florentiner'
> in North Germany?)
>
> Giano
>
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