[Sca-cooks] Re: 1637 Hosokawa Sansai Kaiseki Meal

[Gaylin Walli]

I have permission from Baron  Master Edward to forward his
comments. -- Iasmin

From:  "Anthony J. Bryant" <ajbryant at i...>
Date:  Wed May 16, 2001  2:18 pm
Subject:  Re: [SCA-JML] 1637 Hosokawa Sansai Kaiseki Meal

Gaylin Walli wrote:

>  Grated mountain potato*
>  [SNIP]
>  Fusashi (meaning not know)

Probably sliced rice cakes. "Fu" is kneeded rice gluten done in a cake like
thing (probably here sweetened) and sliced up into sections. "Sashi" means
"cut up" as "sashimi" is "cut up body/meat". Since there are already
wheat-gluten cakes (is this mochi, or more fu?) I assume fusashi would be
artificially augmented with syrup or something.

>  * NOTE: Before someone gets all happy about potatoes in near-period
>  Japan I'd like to point out that we have no idea what the original
>  source document says and we're relying on Ms. Cort's translation,
>  presumably. It could feasibly be a potato like we're used to today
>  given the 1637 date alone, but we don't know for sure. -- Iasmin

Yamaimo, an old Japanese native plant. Yes, it's a spud. A small, yummy
spud, not unlike early potatoes.

They had 'em, they ate 'em.
"Potatoes in period" is only a big deal or issue in Europe.
BTW, thanks for posting these, they're wonderful!

Effingham