SC - Food dyes

[Philip & Susan Troy]

lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:
> 
> What did folks use "in period" to color foods?
> 
> I know there was:
> 
> red - alkanet (it's usually used as a fiber dye)

I believe cochineal appears in late period sources.
 
> red-orange/red-brown - red saunders. It's also called "red
> sandalwood" but it isn't even related to real sandalwood and doesn't
> have that wonderful scent
> 
> yellow - saffron
> (turmeric in Asia - but was turmeric in Europe in SCA period?)
> 
> green - greens pressed to make a green liquid which also adds flavor,
> such are parsley and cilantro
> 
> blue - certain berries

tournesole and perhaps indigo, but I'm not certain of the latter
> 
> Any others that are actually documented in period?
> 
> As far as other foods i know about that color foods, but don't know
> if they were used in period:
> 
> black - squid ink, used in pasta, but i don't know if it is used for
> anything else...

Ink, I thought. Also various blood preparations are used to make foods black.
 
> pink - beets

"Pink is not period!!!" Sorry, I couldn't resist. People still make that noise...
 
> a range of browns, yellows, and oranges - yellow onion skins
> 
> I'm not looking for things that we can use now, but what they
> actually used "back then".

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com