[Sca-cooks] Sweet onions in period Europe

[Stefan li Rous]

> Chris Stanifer wrote:
> > I'm not convinced that our modern "sweet onion" is not
> > relly just a throwback to an older, sweet strain of
> > onion.  It's entirely possible (though this is purely
> > conjecture) that period onions were already sweet, and
> > the sweetness was bred out in modern times in favor of
> > larger onions and larger crop yeilds.  The
> > "reintroduction" of the Vidalia and Maui sweet
> > varieties would seem a breakthrough in our age, but
> > not necessarily in period.  Hence, no special mention
> > of a sweet onion.  Of course, period onions could have
> > tasted like pencil shavings, too...I have no clue.
> >
> > Balthazar of Blackmoor

I think we've discussed a number of period recipes involving
onions here and I thought there were some comments in these
recipes indicating that onions may likely have been more acrid/
sulfurous? such as comments to parboil them, and I thought, others.

Is there any evidence of onions being eat raw in salads for instance?

> I mentioned it only as a possibility, of course. I like to keep an open
> mind.

> Adamantius

Certainly. However, at this time with little definative info to go on
either way, I think the odds are against a sweet onion being known
in period. Every other sweet item seems to have become quickly favored.

--
THLord  Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas         stefan at texas.net
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