[Sca-cooks] Garlic ( was period foods and allergiesTests, Argan oil, What else??)

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

On 11 Feb 2004, at 10:25, Kirsten Houseknecht wrote:

> but when i tried to gently point out to a local officer that it is difficult
> when almost all the food items share a "common ingredient" and if you are
> allergic to that ingredient you cant eat anything, i was told. firmly. that
> garlic is an essential componant in most medieval food.

That is a load of... fewmets!

First of all, any decently planned menu will not have the same ingredient in most of 
the dishes.  This is a good idea just for flavor balance, let alone allergy concerns.

Secondly, garlic is not an essential component in any medieval cuisine I've studied.  
Let's take Spain, which is certainly a "garlic-friendly" culture.  Of the 243 recipes in 
de Nola, 12 of them call for garlic.  Only 4 of those recipes have garlic as the 
dominant signature flavor; in 2 others, it is listed as optional.  Let me quote from the 
recipe for grilled moray eel: "And there are also many who grease it with garlic and 
oil. But each one cooks it according to his appetite. Because there are many lords 
who do not eat garlic and oil, and others who do eat it."  Likewise, the recipe for pike 
says, "it is eaten in marinade with your watered-down white vinegar, and salt, and 
oregano, and a ground clove of garlic for one who eats it..."  


Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
rcmann4 at earthlink.net