[Sca-cooks] Historic Near East Spice Boxes

[Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise]

> There are three, first listing, then comparing, the seasonings used 
> in the cookbooks of al-Baghdadi and the Anonymous Andalusian.
> 
> http://home.earthlink.net/~lilinah/Misc_Hist_Food/SpiceboxBaghdadi.html
> http://home.earthlink.net/~lilinah/Misc_Hist_Food/SpiceboxAndalusi.html
> http://home.earthlink.net/~lilinah/Misc_Hist_Food/SpiceboxesCompared.html
>
> I am chiefly looking for critiques of my analysis. What questions did 
> i not ask? What is the data saying that i didn't hear? Any other 
> constructive remarks?

Wow. These are impressive.

Other things it might be useful to comment on-- the use of dates and 
other fruit, if any, for sweetening. Also, how often is 'salt' used? Do 
we know whether it is black, white/yellow, or brown mustard? I'm a bit 
doubtful about the derivation of 'the usual spices' based on the most 
used spices... does the translation of the term suggest anything 
different? I believe there are 2 kinds of galingale and I always get 
them muddled... you only mention one, so either it's simpler than I 
thought or some logical jump hasn't been elucidated. 
Again, in the Andalusian text, you say "Bee Balm". That could be 
'Melissa' (lemon balm), but the term 'Bee Balm' to modern gardeners 
usually means Bergamot, Monarda didyma.

Formatting quibbles; you seem to have problems with capitalization of 
'I' and a few more typos.

But it's still amazing work and wow, wow, I (metaphorically) kiss your 
hands and feet..

-- 
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net 
Sybil: "Have you been upsetting people?"
Vimes: "I think I may let people upset themselves."
Sybil: "Good for you. You do that so well." -- Terry Pratchett