[Sca-cooks] Cookbooks and historical food references

[Terry Decker]

Aigues-Mortes (Dead Waters)

Founded in 1241 by Louis IX of France on land purchased from Psalmody Abbey
(of 5th Century origin and built on the site of an earlier Roman ruin).  It
marks France's first direct access to the Mediterranean.  Louis helped start
and expand the current salt trade, claiming 1/7 of the proceeds as his
share. The city walls were completed about 1300 and shortly thereafter the
access to the sea silted up.

Salt production in the region (the Camargue or Rhone delta) is by
evaporation of sea water in salins (earth tanks).  This is probably the same
method used by the Roman engineer Peccaius, who was responsible for setting
up Roman salt production in the region (don't ask for a date on him, I
haven't found one).  The area came under Roman control in the 1st Century
BCE and I didn't find it mentioned in Pliny, so the salt production may be
later than 79 CE.

There is apparently evidence of salt production and trade with the
Phoenician in the area.

Bear

>5) Roman to current day salt making along the shores of Aigues-Mortes.
>
>Sharon


Peccalus