[Sca-cooks] Re:sweet oranges

[Terry Decker]

Platina is 1475 and Louis XI reigned 1461-1483, so that places some kind of
sweet orange in Europe during the latter half of the 15th Century.  But no
idea of whether these were hybrids, imports or some varietal that had been
around for a while.

IIRC, there was an orange market in Nice in the early 1400's, which might
tie in nicely to sweet varietals.

Sweet oranges being mentioned in European literature before sweet oranges
are supposed to have arrived.  Obviously there is an error in the arrival
date commonly quoted.  What a delicious conundrum!  And then there is the
problem of the derivation of the Valencye recipe.  This could be fun.

Bear



>With regard to the questions posed by Anahita as regards
>oranges and the recipe in Fabulous feasts,  my notes show that
>there was a sweet orange available in Europe prior to 1500.
>Louis XI of France sent for "sweet oranges" during his reign
>and Platina also mentions that some oranges are tart and some sweet.
>No idea as to where Cosman got her original idea for the recipe.
>There was a later introduction of another larger sweeter, orange by the
>Portuguese
>in the 1520's too as Bear notes.
>
>back to editing
>
>Johnnae