[Sca-cooks] vanilla (was chocolate)

[Stefan li Rous]

Gianotta mentioned:
> The Spanish ruled Sicily in the 16th
> century; I found references to chocolate being brought to Sicily not
> too long after 1528, at least according to the food writer Faith
> Willinger, who says that chocolate began appearing in Sicilian dishes
> at that time. Faith Willlinger also says in the 18th century in Modica,
> there was a type of entrepreneu called a "ciucculattaru, a
> professional cocoa-bean processor who schlepped his stone tools,
> preroasted beans, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon door-to-door.

Hmmm. Besides the chocolate, if you can verify this comment about 
vanilla being sold door-to-door, I think that would be of interest as 
well. It is rememberance that we don't have any evidence of the use of 
vanilla in Europe prior to 1600 with the possible use, though maybe 
questionable, in Spain. So evidence of its use outside of Spain would 
be of particular interest.

vanilla-msg       (17K)  9/19/04    The vanilla bean in late-period 
Europe.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/vanilla-msg.html

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
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