[Sca-cooks] Middle Eastern Food

[Jane Boyko]

Hi there

In "The Food Chronology" by James Trager he notes that the artichoke is used 
by the Romans.  He quotes Pliny's "Historia Naturalis".  This is in the 1st 
century.  (p31)   The next mention of the artichoke is in 1533 and I will 
quote here  "Cooks attending Catherine de' Medici introduce to France such 
vegetables as broccoli, globe artichokes ... fonds d'artichauts...." (p91).

As to the Jerusalem Artichoke it seems to be a new world plant.  First 
mention of it is in 1609 when the Virginia colony finds that its' food stocks 
have run low.  Survivors take on different tasks (ie hunting, fishing and 
gathering) of which they gather "...Jerusalem artichokes and other wild 
plants" (p113).  It is again mentioned in 1616 with the French explorer 
Samuel de Champlain.  He introduces the Jerusalem artichoke to France in 
1616.  At first it is known as the Canadian artichoke, the earth pear etc.  
There is abosolutely no mention of how the Jerusalem artichoke became known 
as the Jerusalem artichoke.

Okay, I have become too curious.  

Here is an interesting url that recounts some of the history and nameing of 
the Jerusalem artichoke.  http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch26.html

Also if you check out Apicius there are three recipes using artichokes:
Artichokes with Fish-pickle dressing (Carduos)
Artichokes with Hot Herb dressing (Aliter carduos)
Cumin spiced artichokes (Aliter carduos elixos - steamed artichokes).

Hope this helps and clears up some of the questions surrounding artichokes.

Marina



On 07/05/2003 03:45 am, david friedman wrote:
> >>This is a quite interesting link to comments about how the Crusades
> >>changed the food landscape in the Middle East.
> >>
> >>>http://jeru.huji.ac.il/ef41.htm
> >>
> >>Ana
> >
> >I found it interesting they said that lotus was used.  I never read
> >that in any period recipes I have come across.  Nice site though.
> >
> >They don't give a source or time period for a recipe they have on
> >the site but it sounds good and it even sounds as if it actually may
> >be a period recipe.  What do you all think?  Here is the list of
> >ingredients:
> >
> >Lamb with broad beans (fava beans) and artichokes
> >
> >1 shoulder of lamb, cut into individual portions
> >
> >1/2 cup olive oil
> >
> >1 teaspoon saffron
> >
> >5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
> >
> >Salt
> >
> >Black pepper, freshly ground
> >
> >1 pickled lemon
> >
> >3 kg artichokes
> >
> >10 green almonds, fresh or pickled
> >
> >1 kg fresh broad beans (fava beans)
>
> The page seems to be talking about Jerusalem during and just after
> the First Crusade. It isn't clear that the artichoke existed that
> early. While there is some dispute, I gather  the dominant view is
> that it was bred out of the cardoon sometime in the Middle Ages,
> probably in the Muslim world.