[Sca-cooks] To Make a Fine Spice
lilinah at earthlink.net
lilinah at earthlink.net
Tue Mar 16 12:02:34 PST 2004
Here is the documentation for my Fine Spice Powder entry.
Naturally most of the formatting is gone (i
refuse to use HTML in e-mail). There are some
special characters - i'm not sure of the best way
to represent them, so i just left them. They will
undoubtedly turn into gobbledygook. These
include, but are not limited to, the accents
grave and aigu in French and the "enyay" (n with
a tilde over it) in Spanish, as well as various
umlauts, circumflexes, and cedillas. There is
also the "degree" sign which represents "ounce".
And there is a table which was presented in the
paper in a fixed-width/monospaced font and will
look funny in this message, but, i think, can be
figured out (just cut and paste and set in a
fixed-width font). I also used bold and italic
text, which is not reproduced here.
If anyone has trouble figuring out some words,
let me know and i'll "translate".
I mentioned many people on this list who assisted
me, but if you contributed significantly and i
forgot to note your contribution, i apologize and
thank you - and, please, remind me, so i can add
you in. I hope i have attributed sources
accurately. If you feel i got something wrong
that you contributed, please let me know.
Stefan, if you want to use this in the
Florilegium, let me know and i'll send you an
HTML version with a proper table, special
characters and letter styles.
Any books that posters referenced that seemed
useful, i looked for in the UC-Berkeley library.
I found Wheaton's book, Savoring the Past, and
got some good info there - including a period
HERB blend! But there were others i couldn't find
- sadly it appears that both volumes of "Manger
et boire au moyen age" had been stolen - and i
searched the on-line book vendors and no one had
a copy - i'd like to buy a set...
------
There were six entries in this Practical Science
Competition, which is a good showing in this
Kingdom.
I'm not very good at presentation - and that
counts for points, so i made a real effort this
time. At the suggestion of Cynara, i bought nine
little red clay dishes that go under flowerpots
(mine were 4" dia.). In each dish i put a
handwritten "sign" noting the source of the spice
blend along with the blend. The ninth dish
contained long peppers so the judges could see i
had really used them. I put the dishes on a wood
and mother-of-pearl inlaid tray that i bought in
Morocco. To protect the spices, i covered the
tray with a linen-like towel that was white and
indigo striped. Because the breeze was gentle,
and after consulting the head of our cookerie
guild, i removed the towel and arranged it neatly
under the tray at an angle so it would show
without taking up too much space.
There is a total of 25 points per judge, and
three judges, with a grand total possible of 75.
Judges can also add up to 5 additional points at
their discretion, so it could go up to 90, but
totals rarely even make it to 75.
I did not win. My cumulative point total was 70 points - not bad :-)
One judge gave me 25 points, the second 27. One
of the scoring sections is for complexity of the
entry - these two judges gave me high marks for
complexity and one gave me extra points for my
documentation and research. Of course, making a
fine spice is in itself not that complex, but i
did turn it into, at least in my mind, a
scientific experiment.
The third gave me a total of 18. She took points
off because (1) my powders were too fibrous (i
did mention in my documentation that i was unable
to sift them - i would have done if things had
worked out better), (2) i didn't serve them in a
prepared recipe (only two of the six entries did,
both prepared by Laurels). And she gave me a low
complexity rating, since basically speaking,
making a fine spice is not complex, although i
personally feel i had taken something simple and
made it complex.
The Sciences officer mentioned that she had to
add the totals several times to make sure that
the numbers were right, things were so close. All
entries are anonymous, and individual scores are
not made public, so i don't really know if mine
was close or not. I did see who had entered,
because there is a sign-in sheet that the judges
do not see and which is how we are assigned our
entry numbers, and i know who won (Mistress
Francesca von Hesse) and i know which was her
entry (it included some kind of honey-nut candy).
After the contest, several of my friends tasted
the blends. The favorite was my version of Le
Menagier. I currently have four pork chops in my
freezer. My intention is to cut each in half and
cook each in a different blend for my own taste
test. Not all at once :-)
My big huge enormous thanks to this list. I
wouldn't have had so much useful material without
you. I owe the list and several individuals a
great debt.
Anahita
==================================================================================
BEGIN DOCUMENTATION
==================================================================================
(Cover Sheet)
PRACTICAL SCIENCE
MAKING A "FINE SPICE"
Kingdom of the West
March Crown 2004
A. One Page Summary 1
B. Introduction 2
C. Seven Recipes - original language, translation, and comments 2
D. Comparison Chart and Additional Analysis 6
E. My Process 6
F. Epilogue - Survival: An Early Modern Spice
Blend from the mid-17th century 7
G. Bibliography 8
H. Additional Notes 9
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page One
A. SUMMARY
WHAT: Fine Spice or Fine Powder is a blend of
spices called for in many Late Medieval /
Renaissance recipes. There are, however, very few
actual recipes or lists of spices for such a
powder.
In the late Medieval/Renaissance corpus of
cookbooks, both handwritten and printed on a
press, there is no consistent usage of
terminology for spice blends. For example, the
Vatican manuscript of Le Viandier calls for
"Spice Powder" in the first part and for "Fine
Powder" in the second, yet these terms appear to
be used to indicate something similar if not the
same. Unfortunately, no version of Le Viandier
has a recipe for either of these spice powder
blends.
Barbara Santich notes the similarities in spices
and in usage among the Salsa ffina in Libre de
Sent Sovi , Specie Fine in Libro de cucina del
seculo XIV, the salsa communa in Libre del Coch,
and the salsa comun in Libro de cozina de Ruperto
de Nola (Santich, 1984, p. 134).
I have located seven recipes either for Fine
Spice Powder or for a similar spice blend. I
noted similarities and differences among the
recipes. All seven include ginger, cinnamon, and
cloves, six include pepper, and four included
saffron and nutmeg, although in different
proportions. There are an additional six
ingredients used in only one to three recipes:
coriander, galangal, grains of paradise, long
pepper, mace, and sugar.
WHEN: The seven recipes I have found date from
1324 to 1607. Three are from the 14th c., three
from the 16th century, and one from the very
early 17th c. I find it odd that I could find no
surviving recipes for Fine Spice Powder from the
15th century. In the interests of completion, I
have included an eighth, intriguing recipe from
1652.
WHERE: The recipes I found come from Iberia (in
both Catalan and Castilian), France, and Italy.
Cookbooks calling for "Fine Spices" or "Fine
Powder" come from these geographic regions as
well as England, which may reflect Norman French
influence in noble English cookery.
WHO: Spice blends could be purchased ready made
(as noted in Le Menagier de Paris) or made at
home. According to food scholars, such as the
Scullys (p. 55), apothecaries or spicers selling
such blends, households, and cooks probably each
had their own personal, and thus different,
blends. This can account for the differences
among blends, while changes in expected taste
over time, and regional differences also come
into play.
HOW: The recipes generally specify a list of
spices and their quantities and say, "make into
powder". Whether each spice was powdered
individually or all were ground together is not
specified. Based on my knowledge of Late Medieval
/ Renaissance kitchen and cooking, I think they
were powdered separately, then blended, since
this would be easier than trying to grind all the
different sizes and shapes together in one mortar
at one time.
RECIPES INCLUDED HERE - in temporal order:
1. salsa ffina. Libre de Sent Soví (1324) - Catalan
2. Specia fine a tutte cosse. Libro de cucina del
seculo XIV (14th c.) - Venetian, not necessarily
the city of Venice
This book is also known as the Anonymous Venetian
Cookbook, Libro di cucina and Libro per cuoco.
3. Pouldre fine. Le Menagier de Paris (very late 14th c.) - Paris, France
4. Salsa Communa. Libre del Coch, Ruperto de Nola
(original Catalan edition, 1520)
5. Espicias de salsa comun. Libro de Guisados,
Ruperto de Nola (Castilian edition 1529)
6. Menues espices. Liure fort excellent de cuysine (1555) 27 verso - France
7. La poudre en usage pour les potages et les
sauces. Le Thrésor de santé (1607) - France
ANALYSIS
I give all the recipes in their original
languages, English translations - many by me,
variant translations where applicable, and
comments, interleaved with the recipes. I have
also made a chart in which all the recipes are
compared, on page 6. And I included a French
recipe from 1652 which appears to continue the
tradition of "Fine Spice Powder" into the Early
Modern Period.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
I also have a complete bibliography of my
sources, both original and modern, on page 8.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page Two
B. INTRODUCTION
Recipes in surviving cookbooks from the Medieval
and Renaissance periods, besides specifying
individual spices and seasonings, often call for
the use of particular spice blends. These blends
have a number of names and generally serve
different purposes. Among them are:
Poudre Douce Sweet Powder
Poudre Blanche White Powder
Poudre Forte Strong Powder
Poudre Fine Fine Powder
Gode Pouder of Spycery Good Spice Powder
Salsa Commun Common Seasoning
The blend known as Fine Spices or Fine Powder is
used in a wide range of dishes, from soup to meat
to vegetables, and occasionally in dishes we in
the 21st century would consider dessert (see Le
Viandier, Form of Curye, Le Menagier de Paris,
Libro de Guisados). Generally the exact blend is
not specified and only a few cookbooks include
recipes or ingredient lists for any of these
spice blends. For example, all editions of Le
Viandier call for "Fine Spices", but he never
gives a recipe or listing of just which spices he
means, although he does include a list of
necessary spices for the kitchen.
Further, Medieval and Renaissance cookbooks,
since they were often compendia of recipes from
more than one source, were not always consistent.
For example, the Vatican manuscript of Le
Viandier calls for "Spice Powder" in the first
part and for "Fine Powder" in the second, yet
these terms appear to be used to indicate
something similar if not the same.
Additionally, the meaning of "Fine" is not
entirely clear. Does this mean "finely ground" or
does it imply a refined or special blend
superior to a less complex spicing in a dish? See
my Notes included with Recipe 6, for a possible
solution.
And finally, Barbara Santich notes the
similarities in spices and in usage among the
salsa ffina in Libre de Sent Sovi, the specie
fine in Libro de cucina del seculo XIV, the salsa
communa in Libre Del Coch, and the salsa comun in
Libro de cozina de Ruperto de Nola (Santich,
1984, p. 134).
For these reasons, I am including seven recipes
for spice blends that, while not all named "Fine
Spice" or "Fine Powder", serve the same purpose
within a given cookbook. These come from
cookbooks covering over 200 years and from
several different cultures within Western Europe,
and are presented in Section C. in temporal order.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Pages Three through Five
C. THE RECIPES
1. Libre de Sent Sovi (1324)
Original and translation from Catalan courtesy of
Tom and Cynara McDonald (Master Thomas Longshanks
and Mistress Aelfwynn Gyrthesdohtor, Barony of
Caer Mear, Kingdom of Atlantia) via personal
e-mails, between Feb 28-Mar 4, 2004.
Original
Capitol ccxviiii que parla con sa deu ffer la
resepta de salsa ffina - a vna liura
Si vols ffer salsa que sia ffina ffes la axi per
vna liura Primerament tu pendras gingebre que sia
bo vii oz Canella que sia ffina i oz e mige Pebre
i oz Giroffle i oz Macis vn quart Nous noscades
vn quart Seffra i oz e mige E tot aso picaras E
pessar ho as per sadas
[Translators' note: "oz" has a line over both
letters, as an abbreviation for "hunsa"]
Translation
Section 219 which speaks of how to make the
recipe for Fine Seasoning (one liura)
If you wish to make spice that will be fine you
make it in this way for one liura. First you will
take ginger that is good 7 ounces, cinnamon that
is fine 1 ounce and a half, pepper 1 ounce,
cloves 1 ounce, mace a quarter, nutmeg a quarter,
saffron 1 ounce and a half, and all this you will
pound, and you have to pass it through a sieve.
2. Libro de cucina del seculo XIV
edited by Ludovico Fratri, 1899, from reprint
1970, p. 40, and quoted on p. 221 (translation) &
255 (original) in The Medieval Kitchen, by Redon,
Sabban, & Serventi, and trans. by E. Schneider)
Original
Specia fine a tutte cosse. Toy una onza de pevere
e una de cinamo e una de zenzevro e mezo quarto
de garofali e uno quarto de zaferanno.
Translation
Fine Spices for all foods. Take one ounce of
pepper and one of cinnamon and one of ginger and
half quarter of cloves and one quarter of saffron
My Notes:
This book is also known as The Anonymous Venetian
Cookbook, Libro di cucina and Libro per cuoco.
Fratri's transcription into modern Italian is webbed at:
http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/%7Egloning/frati.htm
Louise Smithson has translated Fratri's book into English and webbed it at:
http://www.geocities.com/helewyse/libroenglish
3. Le Menagier de Paris (very late 14th c.)
Original
p. 54, Early French Cookery, found on p. 247 in
Pichon edition (pub. 1846) and Section 314 in
Brereton & Ferrier edition
Pouldre fine. Prenez gengembre blanc 1° .3,
canelle triee 3°, giroffle et graine de chascun
demy quart d'once, et de succre en pierre 3°, et
faictes pouldre.
[there's a degree sign following the "1" and the
"3" after "triee" and "pierre"]
Translations
A. My translation:
Fine Powder. Take white ginger 1 ounce 1 drachma,
selected cinnamon 3 ounces, clove and grains [of
paradise] of each half quarter of ounce, and of
rock sugar 3 ounces, and make powder.
B1. Janet Hinson translation, in Friedman, vol. 2, page M-50:
FINE POWDER of spices. Take (probably: Ed.) an
ounce and a drachma of white ginger, (probably:
Ed.) a quarter-ounce of hand-picked cinnamon,
half a quarter-ounce each of grains and cloves,
and (probably: Ed.) a quarter-ounce of rock
sugar, and grind to powder.
B2. Eileen Power translation in The Goodman of Paris, page 298:
FINE [SPICE] POWDER. Take of white ginger an
ounce and a dram, of selected cinnamon a quarter,
of cloves and grain [of Paradise] each half a
quarter of an ounce, and of lump sugar a quarter
and reduce them to powder.
My Commentary:
The differences among these translations are due
to the interpretation of "3°". The superscript
"o" means "ounce". But the sign represented here
by a "3" (actually an apothecary's sign like a
yogh) generally means a drachma. Hinson follows
Powers - both interpret "3°" to mean "quarteron"
(a quarter of an ounce), whereas Brereton/Ferrier
interpret this as truly meaning 3 ounces,
pointing out that a quarteron was commonly
written "iiii° " (see Johnna Holloway, on page 9,
below).
[degree sign after "3" and after "iiii"]
There are a number of additional problems to
consider in interpreting this recipe. Most of the
recipes I have found are given in ounces and thus
can be interpreted as "parts by weight". However,
in this recipe, the ginger is given as an ounce
and a drachma. First, the weight of the drachma,
the ounce, and the pound were not necessarily the
same then as they are now. Second, in the
Medieval and Renaissance periods, their weights
varied with geographical location and over time.
Third, there is more than one weight system
operative in Paris during the life of Le Menagier
de Paris - Apothecaries' Weight (also known as
Troy Weight) and Avoirdupois. And fourth, while
it is likely that the spices were sold by
Apothecaries'/Troy weight, what weight did the
cook use in the kitchen?
The French livre as a pound of 16 ounces was
standardized in 1350 to equal approximately 1.079
pounds avoirdupois (the standard US weight) or
489.5 grams. The drachma (now dram) in
Apothecaries' weight is 60 grains, which equals
1/8 of an ounce. In Avoirdupois weight the
drachma is 27.13 grains = 1/16 of an ounce.
The Paris avoirdupois drachm of the time of Le
Menagier was about 1.912 grams, while our modern
measure is 1.772 grams. The modern Troy drachm is
about 3.888 grams.
Some people pondering this question have
commented that if this recipe is using
avoirdupois weight, the 1 drachma will not make a
significant difference in taste, whereas the
apothecaries' weight which is 1/8 of an ounce
could well be tasted. This makes me wonder why
the weight of the cloves and grains of Paradise
are given as half a quarter of an ounce, i.e.,
1/8 ounce, if this equals 1 drachma?
Additionally, because spices were generally
expensive, they were often dispensed to the cook
by the Clerk of the Wardrobe or the Steward based
on the daily menu. It is possible, but not
certain, that the spices were purchased from
apothecaries using the apothecaries' weight
system, and disbursed by the Clerk also using
apothecaries' weights.
I have reached no definitive conclusion. But for
practical purposes, I am interpreting the drachma
following Apothecaries' weights as 1/8 of an
ounce in this recipe.
4. Libre del Coch, Ruperto de Nola (original Catalan edition, 1520)
In her translation of the Libro de Guisados (for
details, see Recipe 5), Robin Carroll-Mann
footnotes her recipe for Common Spices:
"The Libre del Coch and the 1525 Libro de Cozina
call for 4 oz. ginger, 3 oz. cinnamon, 1 oz.
pepper, 1/2 oz. each of cloves, nutmeg, and mace,
and 1/4 oz. saffron."
5. Libro de Guisados, Ruperto de Nola (Castilian edition 1529)
Original
The original recipe is in neither Carroll-Mann
nor Cuenca. I own a facsimile copy of the 1529
edition which says:
Folio xv.
Espicias de salsa comun. Enmendado.
CAnela tres partes: clauos dos partes: gigibre vna par
e: pimienta vna parte / y vn poco de culantro seco bien
molido / y vn poco de açafran si quieres sea todo bien mo=
lido y cernido.
[actually there were quite a few "long s" in the
above, but i replaced with with regular "s" for
this e-mail. And acafran has a "c with a cedilla"]
Translations
A.Translated by Vincent F. Cuenca, p. 16
Common Spices - Cinnamon three parts, cloves two
parts, ginger one part; pepper one part and a
little cilantro dried and ground well and a
little saffron if you wish. and all should be
well ground and sifted.
B. Translated by Robin Carroll-Mann
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MANUSCRIPTS/Guisados1-art.html
Spices for Common Sauce - Especias de Salsa
Comun - Three parts cinnamon, two parts cloves,
one part ginger, one part pepper and a little dry
coriander, well-ground, and a little saffron if
you wish; let everything be well-ground and
sifted.
My Commentary:
First, Medieval/Renaissance food scholar Barbara
Santich believes that Iberian "Common Spice" and
"Fine Spice" blends serve pretty much the same
function (Santich, 1984, p. 134), and I agree,
which is why I have included this recipe.
Second, the title of the recipe: Cuenca writes
"Common Spices" while Carroll-Mann writes "Common
Sauce". The word "salsa" was, in fact, often used
to mean "seasoning", besides meaning "sauce". So
either interpretation is possible. I would say
"Spices for a Common Seasoning".
Third, Cuenca and Carroll-Mann do not agree on
the part of the coriander plant to be used.
Cuenca says, "cilantro dried", which implies the
dried herb. This seems to me unlikely, first,
because cilantro does not dry well. Second, in
SCA-period Iberian cooking it is nearly always
used fresh for its distinctive flavor and green
color. Carroll-Mann says, "dry coriander". This
leaves the interpretation to the reader, but to
me implies coriander seed. In the Arabic corpus
both the fresh green herb and the seed of
coriander are used frequently and the seed is
referred to as "dry coriander". Therefore, in my
blend i used coriander seed.
6. Liure fort excellent de cuysine (1555) 27 verso
(p. 247 in Wheaton, Savoring the Past.)
Original:
Menues espices
Prenes Z iiij de Gingembre Z iii de canelle Z ii
de poyure rond Z i de poyure long ij de noix
muscade Z i de cloux de Giroffle Z i de Graine de
paradis Z et i de Garingal le tout mis en pouldre
et passes par lesset.
My translation:
Take 4 oz of ginger, 3 oz. of cinnamon, 2 oz. of
round pepper (i.e., black pepper), 1 oz of long
pepper, 2 nutmegs, 1 oz of cloves, 1 oz of grains
of paradise, and 1 oz. of galangal. Make all into
powder and pass through a sieve.
My Notes:
"Menu" is a synonym for "fine" (it also means
"thin" and "small"). This points to a possible
interpretation of "fine" in "fine powder" as
meaning finely ground.
The "Z" here is the sign for an ounce.
7. Le Thrésor de santé (1607)
[there is an "e with accent aigu" in Thresor and sante]
Original:
Footnote 6, in Pichon and Vicaire edition of the
Bibliothèque [e with accent grave] Nationale MS
of Le Viandier, published 1893, p. 26
via James Prescott (SCA: Thorvald), in private
e-mail communications, who noted that "Thrés. de
sant." is Thrésor de santé, 1607 edition, and
that the length of a league was different then
than it is today.
The footnote reads:
(6) Taillevent parle souvent de la poudre
d'épices mais sans dire de quelles épices se
composoit cette poudre. Le Thrés. de sant., p.
395, donne la composition de plusieurs poudres,
suivant qu'elles doivent servir à
l'assaisonnement de tel ou tel mets. Voice de
quoi se composoit la poudre en usage pour les
potages et les sauces: "Gingembre, quatre onces;
canelle, trois onces et demie; poivre rond, une
once et demie; poivre long, une once; muscade,
deux onces; clous de girofle, une once; graine de
paradis, garingal, de chacun une once." L'auteur
ajoute: "Toutes ces pouldres se gardent un mois,
voire quarante jours sans se gaster. On les doit
tenir en des sacs de cuir, pour ne s'esventer, ne
l'estans ja que trop par la longue traite de leur
apport. Car on compte depuis l'Espagne jusques a
Calicuth oû on débite le poivre et le gingembre
quatre mille lieuës par mer, & de là jusques aux
isles Moluques & autres qui n'en sont fort
esloignées, rapportans le girofle et la muscade,
deus mille lieuës."
[there are a whole lot of accent marks over
various vowels. Ask me if you want to know]
My translation:
Taillevent speaks often of spice powder but
without saying of which spices this powder is
composed. The Thrés. de sant., p. 395, gives the
composition of several powders, according to that
which they serve as seasoning for such or such a
dish. Here is that which composes the powder
used for soups and sauces: "Ginger, 4 ounces;
cinnamon, three ounces and a half; round pepper,
one ounce and a half; long pepper, one ounce;
nutmeg, two ounces; cloves, one ounce; grains of
paradis, galangal, of each one ounce." The author
adds: "All these powders keep one month, nay, in
truth forty days, without spoiling. One must keep
them in leather sacks, so not to go stale, even
though already much [faded] by the long stretch
of their bringing in. For one counts from Spain
to Calicut where they sell pepper and ginger four
thousand leagues by sea, and from there to the
Moluccan Islands and others which are quite
remote, bringing back cloves and nutmeg, 2
thousand leagues."
My Commentary:
To simplify, here is the recipe extracted from the text above:
Ginger, 4 ounces; cinnamon, three ounces and a
half; round pepper, one ounce and a half; long
pepper, one ounce; nutmeg, two ounces; cloves,
one ounce; grains of paradise, galangal, of each
one ounce.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Page Six
D. CHART COMPARING RECIPES AND ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS
[This is REALLY not going to work in e-mail - if
you want to see this chart, set it in a fixed
width/monospaced font]
Ounces except 1324 | 14th c. | c. 1395
| 1520 | 1529 | 1555 | 1607 | #
Recipes
as noted | | (me)
(Hinson) | | | Liure | Thrésor
| in which
Recipe -----> Sent Soví | Venetian | Menagier
| de Nola | de Nola | fort | de Santé | Spice
Used
Spice
Ginger | 7 | 1 | 1 oz + 1 dr
| 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7
Cinnamon | 1.5 | 1 | 3 - 0.25
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 | 7
Cloves | 1 | 1/8 | 1/8
| 0.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7
Round Pepper | 1 | 1 | --
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | 6
Nutmeg | .25 | -- | --
| 0.5 | -- | 2 nuts| 2 | 4
Saffron | 1.5 | .25 | --
| 0.25 | a little | -- | -- | 4
Grains | -- | -- | 1/8
| -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 3
Long Pepper | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 2
Galangal | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 2
Mace | .25 | -- | --
| 0.5 | -- | -- | -- | 2
Sugar | -- | -- | 3 - 0.25
| -- | -- | -- | -- | 1
Coriander | -- | -- | --
| -- | a little | -- | -- | 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 | 7 | 5 | 5
| 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | Total
ingred
| per recipe
As can be seen, the blends are quite variable. In
the recipes I have chosen, there is a total of
twelve possible ingredients, but no recipe uses
more than eight and none uses fewer than five.
All six recipes use ginger, cinnamon, and clove,
five of them included pepper, and four include
saffron. Seven other ingredients are used
infrequently. Even those with the same or almost
the same ingredients use them in rather different
proportions. Additionally, different flavors
predominate. In three (possibly four) recipes the
dominant spice is ginger, in one (possibly two)
cinnamon, and in one they are equal and coequal
with pepper. Clove plays a varied role, ranging
from 2nd strongest flavor to a relatively small
amount.
I further note that in a number of modern recipes
for Medieval/Renaissance spice blends, by both
SCA and professional authors, cardamom (Elettaria
cardamomun) is substituted for grains of
paradise, also known as Melegueta pepper
(Aframomum melegueta). There is, however, some
ambiguity here. Cardamom and grains of paradise
are botanically related (being in the family
Zingiberaceae (ginger family)), although they do
not taste the same. Nonetheless, they may have
been used interchangeably in Medieval/Renaissance
cooking (see note from Terry Decker, page 9).
Scholars believe that different spicers and
apothecaries - who also supplied spices - as well
as different households and cooks, each had their
own blends. (Scully & Scully, p. 55) There are
also, no doubt, some regional differences, as
exemplified by the unique use of coriander seed
in the Castilian version of de Nola. Coriander
was a common spice in Moorish Andalusian cooking
and rarely appears in recipes in polities outside
the Iberian Peninsula. It is difficult to know,
however, whether most of the differences among
the recipes reflect the tastes of the times, the
region, or the cook.
There has been discussion among cooks and food
scholars on the SCA-Cooks e-mail list about
whether or not it makes some difference in
Medieval/Renaissance spice blends if the spices
are ground separately or together. The general
consensus was that there was no noticeable
difference in flavor either way. Because it is
easier to grind spices evenly if they are ground
one at a time, I have done it this way.
E. MY PROCESS
I reproduced all seven recipes, including both
interpretations of Le Menagier, mine and
Hinson-Powers, for a total of eight spice blends.
For all spice blends, I ground the whole
ingredients separately in an electric grinder,
except the mace and galangal which I could only
find already ground. I intended to sift them
through a fine wire sieve to remove any large
pieces, but was unable to do so due to an
emergency. Then I mixed them together to blend
them. I made approximately 1 ounce of each recipe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page Seven
F. EPILOGUE - A MID-SEVENTEENTH CENTURY SPICE BLEND
Finally, I found it interesting that in the
middle of the 17th century, which is considered
to be the Early Modern Period, and by which time
cookery has changed enormously from Late Medieval
and Renaissance periods, La Varenne had, in Le
Pâtissier françois (1652), the following recipe,
so much like a fine spice powder, although I'm
not sure what he used it for. (from Wheaton, p.
253)
[francois has a "c with a cedilla"]
Original
Episse douce des pâtissiers.
Prenez doux parties de gingembre, par example,
doux onces, et une partie, c'est à dire, une once
de poivre battu en poudre, mêlez les ensemble,
ajoûtez-y de clou de girofle battu, de la muscade
rapée bien menu, et de la canelle battuë, de
chcun une once ou environ, pour une livre de
poivre, plus ou moins, comme il vous plaira, et
conservez toutes ces choses mêlées ensemble dans
une boëte.
Remarquez gq'on peut garder separément quelque
sorte d'episse doans des petites bourse de cuit,
ou dans une boëte divisée en plusieurs tiroirs.
Remarquez aussi qu'il y a plusieurs personnes qui
n'emploïent que du poivre seul au lieu des autres
épisses; qui que l'épisse composée soit plus
douce que le poivre seul.
Episse salée.
Faites secher deu sel, puis vous le mettrez en
poudre, et vous en mettrez autant pesant qu'il y
aura d'épisse, gardez-la dans un lieu qui ne soit
pas humide.
[Lots of accent marks, if you want to know, ask
me and i'll convey them somehow]
My translation:
Sweet Spice for Pastry Cooks
Take two parts of ginger, for example, two
ounces, and one part, that is to say, one ounce
of pepper beaten into powder, mix them together,
add therein of beaten clove, of nutmeg finely
grated, and of beaten cinnamon, of each on ounce
or there about, for a pound of pepper, more or
less, as it will please you, and conserve all
these things mixed together in a box.
Note that one can keep/store separately some
kinds of spice in little purses/wallets of
leather, or in a box divided into multiple
drawers.
Note also that there are many people who only use
pepper alone in place of other spices; who that
the composed spice is sweeter/milder than pepper
alone.
Salted spice
Dry some salt, then you make it into powder, and
you put therein as much weight as there should be
of spice [blend above], guard it in a place that
is not humid.
------------------------------------------------------------
Page Eight
G. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Carroll-Mann, Robin, translator (SCA: Lady
Brighid ni Chiarai). Libre de Guisados,
originally published 1529.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MANUSCRIPTS/Guisados1-art.html
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MANUSCRIPTS/Guisados2-art.html
Cuenca, Vincent F. Libro de Cozina: The "Libro de
Cozina" of Master Ruperto de Nola, 1529 edition.
Full translation with commentary by the
translator. Self-published, 2001 (Purchased from
Poison Pen Press).
de Nola, Ruperto. Libro de Guisados Manjares y
Potajes, intitulado Libro de Cozina. Miguel de
Eguia, Logroño, 1529. Facsimile reproduced
without commentary, notes, etc., by Librarias
"PARIS-VALENCIA S.L.", Valencia (Spain): 1997.
[Logrono has an "n" with a tilde]
Decker, Terry (SCA: Bear). Messages to the
SCA-Cooks e-mail list in response to my
questions to that list.
Friedman, David D. (SCA: Duke Sir Master Cariadoc
of the Bow). A Collection of Medieval and
Renaissance Cookbooks, 2 volumes. Self-published,
seventh edition (1998). Has translations of Le
Viandier and Le Menagier.
Harris, Mark S. (SCA: THLord Stefan li Rous), editor. The Florilegium:
http://www.florilegium.org
A compendium of messages from a variety of SCA
e-mail lists and newsgroups, organized by topic.
Holloway, Johnna (SCA: THLady Johnnae llyn Lewis)
a librarian at the University of Michigan.
Private e-mails.
Katzer, Gernot. Everything about Herbs & Spices: Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages
http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/
Reference information about 117 herbs and spices,
plus their usage in ethnic cuisines, their
history, chemical constituents and the etymology
of their names, as well as numerous photos of
the live plants or the dried spices.
McDonald, Tom and Cynara (SCA: Master Thomas
Longshanks and Mistress Aelfwynn Gyrthesdohtor,
Barony of Caer Mear, Kingdom of Atlantia). "Salsa
ffina", Libre de Sent Soví. Via private e-mails.
[Sovi has an "i" with an accent aigu]
Menagier de Paris, Le. Janet Hinson, translator.
Le Menagier De Paris (Goodman of Paris, c. 1395).
In Friedman.
Prescott, James (SCA: Master Thorvald Grimsson),
private e-mails and messages to the SCA-Cooks
e-mail list.
Redon, Odile, Françoise Sabban, & Silvano
Serventi. Edward Schneider, translator. The
Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy.
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago &
London: 1998 (original French edition 1993).
Santich, Barbara. "L'influence italienne sur
l'évolution de la cuisine médiévale catalane." in
Manger et boire au moyen age: Actes du Colloque
de Nice, 15-17 octobre 1982. 2 vols. Centre
d'études medievales de Nice. Les Belles Lettres,
Paris: 1984.
Santich, Barbara. The Original Mediterranean
Cuisine: Medieval Recipes for Today. Chicago
Review Press, Chicago: 1995.
Scully, D. Eleanor and Terence Scully. Early
French Cookery: Sources, History, Original
Recipes, and Modern Adaptations. University of
Michigan Press, Ann Arbor: 1995.
Taillevent. Le Viandier, edited by J. Pichon and
G. Vicaire. Le Viandier de Guillaume Tirel dit
Taillevent. First edition, 1892. Second edition
1893. Third edition edited by S. Martinet.
Slatkine Reprints, Geneva: 1967.
Taillevent. Elizabeth Bennett, translator. Le
Viandier de Taillevent (14th c.), partial
translation in Friedman.
Tirel, Guillaume. James Prescott., translator. Le
Viandier de Taillevent: c. 1395. Alfarhaugr
Publishing Society, Eugene: 1989 (2nd ed.).
Wheaton, Barbara Ketcham. Savoring the Past: The
French Kitchen and Table from 1300-1789.
University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page Nine
Date: Sun, 07 Mar 2004 00:29:14 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Le Menagier Fine Powder
The Brereton/Ferrier version is found on page 270
under Miscellaneous Cooking Hints II v. 314.
reads:
Pouldre fine. Prenez gingerbre blanc 1 (degree).
3, canelle triee 3 (degree), giroffle et graine
de chascun demy quart d'once, et de succre en
pierre 3 (degree). et faictes pouldre.
I am using (degree) for the super-imposed degree
sign that I am sure will not e-mail at all well.
The note for this as found on page 329 states:
Pouldre fine... et faictes pouldre
The quantities prescribed here are difficult to
interpret. The apothecary's sign 3 indicates a
drachm 9cf. lines 29 and 30 where drame is spelt
out), and I (degree) may be meant for one ounce.
The sign 3 (degree), however, is baffling. B has
replaced this by 4 (degree), presumably an
abbreviation for 4 ounces. Pichon's suggestion
(ii, 247 n.3) that 4 (degree) means un quarteron
is weakened by the fact that the usual
abbreviation is iiii (on --- written there as
superscript).
{ I will note that what they reproduce in the
text to the note looks like a funny bold face 3}
I suspect that if my reading of the note is
correct that there may be differences between
versions of the manuscript.
Eileen Power in The Goodman of Paris on page 298 gives this as:
FINE [SPICE] POWDER. Take of white ginger an
ounce and a dram, of selected cinnamon a quarter,
of cloves and grain [of Paradise] each half a
quarter of an ounce, and of lump sugar a quarter
and reduce them to powder.
I suspect Hinson stuck more closely to Power's version.
I also have at hand: Le Mesnagier de Paris which
is Brereton and Ferrier's edition of Le Menagier
de Paris translated into modern French by Karin
Ueltschi [Librairie Generale Francaise, 1994] and
the Slatkine Reprints edition of Le Menagier de
Paris [or the Pichon edition](Geneve) if you
think those versions might help. I can check
those in the morning, but it's too late tonight
to get into them.
Have you seen my article in the Florilegium---
French & Italian Herb and Spice Mixtures by THLady Johnnae llyn Lewis.
Stefan added it to the Florilegium in December.
Hope this helps---
Johnnae
=====
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 08:43:23 -0600
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Cardamom?
There was a lively discussion [on the SCA-Cooks
list] on whether or not grains of paradise and
cardamom were used for both Amomum meleguetta and
Elettaria cardamomium. I think you will find it
in the spice section of the Florilegium under
grains of paradise. [NOTE: in fact, I did find it
there]
The OED states that cardamom has [been] used to
describe both and also includes other members of
both genera, but that the only cardamom included
in the British pharmacopocia is Malabar cardomom
(E. cardamomium). The word appears in an English
medical text as early as 1398 and is definitely
identified as a spice in 1553.
Quoting the OED, "1579 Langham "Gard. Health"
(1633) 122 Cardamom, or Graines of Paradise, are
good to be drunke against the falling sickness."
That suggests an equivalence (if not a sameness)
in usage.
Bear
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