[Sca-cooks] Rotten meat and spices...

[Chris Stanifer]

--- Phlip <phlip at 99main.com> wrote:
> OK, guys, we're getting some help on the "rotten meat" issue. This is from
> the lady who wrote the article I forwarded the url to you guys a few days
> ago, where she's debunking that annoying article that keeps coming around
> about the bad old days.

Before anyone tries to 'debunk' the 'myth' that rotten or bad meat was covered up with spices, you
need to be made aware of several bits from Apicius in which food adulteration is not only
suggested, but recommended.  In particular I recall a section on making bad honey good, and there
are others.  I'll post the more obvious ones later this evening.

I also have references in several books which indicate that 'off' or 'putrid' meat can be made
edible with the copious addition of spices or seasonings.  

I'm not saying that this was a common proactice...merely that there is plenty of proof that it
*was* done, and recipes such as the ones I mention are likely the source of the modern opinion
that medieval folk ate rotten food covered with spices.  In fact, they did do it, but perhaps not
as often as modern folk like to think.  Heck, we still do it today...

William de Grandfort

Through teeth of sharks, the Autumn barks.....and Winter squarely bites me.


		
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