SC - Re: melons

[Daniel W Stratton]

This is not particularly illuminating in regard to the melon question,
but it does suggest to me that they really liked them. 
Ian Gourdon

page 188 in Medieval Culture and Society edited by David
Herlihy NY: Harper and Row 1968 ( RE:Florence in 1336-38): " We
have discovered by the tax at the gates that every year Florence
imported upwards of 55,000 cogna of wine...; The city required every
year about 400 cows and calves; 60,000 muttons and sheep; 20,000
she-goats and he-goats; and 30,000 pigs. In the month of July
through the gate of San Frediano there entered 4000 loads of
melons, which were all distributed in the city."

> The Domostroi (Pouncy translation) doesn't _explicitly_ say that 
> melons
> were eaten fresh, but melons are mentioned a few times.
> 
> 154:  "In summer melons, beans, carrots, cucumbers, and other fresh
> vegetables make a nice change [from root vegetables and cabbage,
> apparently]."  This seems to imply that melons were eaten "fresh", 
> but we
> don't know if any preparation was applied, like cooking or mashing, 
> or
> something.
.................................................
Ian Gourdon of Glen Awe
OP, Midrealm Forester
"Well done is better than well said"