[Sca-cooks] Noce d'India (long)

[Cindy M. Renfrow]

Hello!

>The editor of the full version of the Tacuin Sanitatis, Elkhadem,
>translates the arabic passages in question as "noix de coco". I guess
>that the translation in the picture version (Housebook of the Cerruti,
>etc.) is wrong: even in the picture versions the descripton says that
>fresh ones and sweet ones are preferable. Does "sweet" go with "nux
>moscato"?

I looked through Gerard's herball, & think I understand the source of some
of the confusion.  There are (at least) three Nux Indicas:

1-- Nux Indica arbor is the coconut tree and its fruits.

2-- Nucula Indica (on the same page), is called The little Indian Nut.

3-- "Nucula Indica racemosa. The Indian, or rather Ginny Nut", which I
believe to be the American Hazelnut.

Gerard speaks of the coconut and its uses by the natives. He does not
mention any part being used by Europeans except for the nutshell :
"Likewise they make of the shell of the Nut, cups to drink in, which we
likewise vse in England, garnished with siluer for the same purposes."



Of Nucula Indica, The little Indian Nut, Gerard says " we haue no certaine
knowledge from those that haue trauelled into the Indies, of the tree which
beareth this little Indian Nut; neither haue we any thing of our owne
knowledge, more, than that we see by experience that the fruit hereof is
lesser, wherein consisteth the difference."

Gerard's editor, Johnson, adds "The other, expressed in the same table with
the former, by the name of Mehenbethene, Clusius receiued it by the same
name from Cortusus of Padua: yet it doth not (as hee saith) well agree with
the description; and he rather approues of their opinion who refer it to
the Nux unguentaria, or Ben.  It is some inch long, of a triangular figure,
with a hard and wooddy shel: which broken, shewes three cells or
partitions, in each whereof is contained a long kernell white and sweet."

According to Gerard's description and picture of the little Indian nut,
this cannot be a nutmeg.  The little Indian nut has a 3-celled ovary,
whereas nutmeg has a single cell.

I believe that the illustration in Tacuinam Sanitatis is showing both Nux
Indica arbor and Nucula Indica. (It is obvious that the illustrator never
saw a coconut or coconut tree.) The tree in the illustration has large
round green fruits, each marked with 3 dark green spots "representing the
head of a Monkie" -- the coconuts. The fruit on the table is small, oval
with pointed ends, and red -- the little Indian nuts. *However*, the
properties given in the English translation match those given for Nutmeg by
Gerard (with the exception of "inflaming the male").  So, whoever
translated this mixed up coconuts and little Indian nuts with nutmeg.


A web search for mehenbethene yielded Canarium mehenbethene, commonly
called galap. See http://pbarc.ars.usda.gov/germplasm/canarium.htm for a
color picture.