[Sca-cooks] New World Foods

[Daniel Phelps]

Vincenzo wrote:
>
> Ever since I 'discovered' the SCA in the fall of 1996, I have
> wondered and asked, what is the timeline for the introduction
> of new world foods into the European cuisine?
>
> We should also try to establish the introduction dates in
> Europe for all non-European foods; herbs; spices.
>
> With that timeline, the solution to this sort of question
> becomes mush easier to implement.
>
Well... the project described would make a nice set of articles, an
interesting CA or even a mundane book.  I see such as describing, based on
anthropological research, what were the base foods available in pre-Roman
Western Europe and then proceeding from there forward in time with the
consecutive introduction of various food items up until 1600.  Some items
would fall out during certain periods and then possibly return later.  Such
a project  would establish what was period both in time and in place.  If a
series of articles I can see it divided into obvious subject catagories with
some cross overs; i.e. fruits and nuts, vegetables, grains, spices and
herbs, beverages, meats etc.  Allied with this would be a discussion of the
introduction of various cooking methods as they applied to specific items.

Daniel