[Sca-cooks] Frying was Siege Cooking Competition

[Terry Decker]

Fry derives from the Middle English "frien" from the Old French "frire" from
the Latin "frigere," so the word predates the 10th Century.

Leviticus distinguishes between bread baked in an oven and cooked on a
griddle.

Terracotta frying pans (teganon) have been recovered from the Athenian
agora, but they may not have been used for frying in oil.

Apicius refers to fried foods and (IIRC) they have recovered metal frying
pans from Pompeii (79 CE).  Pliny contains a prescription for eggs steeped
in vinegar and fried in oil.

I think it's a safe bet that foods were fried in the Middle Ages.

Bear



>Pretty much what I had decided.  And not much like pancakes, I think.
>It might be stretching it to use these recipes for 10th c., but I
>think I will make fritters for our feast this weekend.  What early
>evidence do we have for frying?
>
>Ranvaig