[Sca-cooks] Re: Mastic for Stefan

[Philippa Alderton]

--- "Harris Mark.S-rsve60"
<Mark.s.Harris at motorola.com> wrote:

> Being my argumentative self, I just said earlier
> that I
> didn't think mastic should be considered a "common
> period
> spice". Primarily because I didn't think it was
> mentioned that
> much in European cooking. Narrowing the comment down
> to
> "a common spice used in period Arab cooking", I no
> longer
> have a problem with, especially given the surveys
> you've
> shown.

Well, I considered it a coomon period ingredient,
because it was something different that I had seen
mentioned quite a number of times, both on this List,
and in several of my cookbooks. I've never seen it
(that I remember) in modern cookery, although some of
the List members who are into Modern ME might look,
and see what they find.

> Why the difference in interest in mastic, I wonder.
> Was the
> source of the mastic just much closer to the Arabs?

I gather that that's where it grew, and its usage
spread from the Arabic areas to every place else- I'm
thinking that if we look, we might find it was in
vogue in several odd places, during the latter part
of, and shortly following, the Crusades. We might also
find it in Rome, during the Empire, when there was so
much trade between Europe and North Africa.

Think I'm going to play on the web a bit, see what I
can see- that is, if this idiot chicken lets me.

> Or does
> this help indicate that perfumed food in general was
> more
> appreciated in the Middle East than in Europe?

Well, much of what I've been learning tends to make me
believe that the Arabs were a lot more civilized than
much of Europe was, and as a general rule, more
civilized cultures tend to have more sophisticated
tastes. I take it that mastic, as a flavor, is an
acquired taste- many people don't like it right off.

> But
> both
> used rose water in food, right?

Yes, but roses grow well in both climates. It's hard
to use a lot of something that is very expensive, and
difficult to come by.

Phlip

=====
Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....

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