[Sca-cooks]Lemons and neither Noty nor Notye

[Chris Stanifer]

--- Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu> wrote:

  As for those fabled ship's records C. Anne Wilson notes
> that in 1289 Queen Eleanor (who was a princess from Castile)
> received 15 lemons and  7 oranges. Upon her deathbed they managed
> to procure her an additional 39 lemons for an outstandingly high price.

What were the circumstances surrounding the purchase?  Were the lemons needed in a hurry (like,
before the old bat kicked the can?)  And why not charge the royalty an arm and a leg for a rush
order of lemons?  They've got the cash.

What is the source for this lady's statement, to begin with?  Is she working from Primary Sources
for this expensive lemon story?


> That's the only mention of lemons that I have found. One has to remember
> that they didn't need lemons at that time for sour juice. For that they used
> the oranges of the period which were the sour or bitter oranges.
> Those we have shipping records for. Both Hammond and Wilson note those.


Why do you assume that the lemon was reserved only for 'sour juice'?  It has a distinct flavor
which, to this day, is very much distinguishable from other citrus juices.  Is it possible that
14th and 15th century Brits actually *liked* the lemon?  Yes, you have shipping records for both
the sour and bitter oranges, but I am sure there are a thousand things which were produced or
consumed on a daily basis in England for which you do not have shipping records.  Does this mean
those things did not exist?

Research into the period lemon may ro may not prove fruitful.  But if we don't try, we won't know.

William de Grandfort






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


		
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