[Sca-cooks] Mongol measure?

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> " Catch many of the mice of the Hairy Tail (gerbils 1 tan clean), finely
> ground coriander (one liang), onions (ten stalks), spices (five ch'ien).
> Apply [coriander, onions and spices] uniformly to ingredients and roast.
One
> may dress the hairy mice in a thick flour with fuang and steam-roast until
> done in a cage; this is also possible. One may dress the hairy mice with
> liquid butter combined with flour, and brazier cook in a brazier; this is
> also possible."
> ... "MIce of the Hairy Tail meat is best in fall, when they are fat for
the
> long sleep.  It is rich, brown and crackles when fried. It supplements the
> center and augments ch'i. It is beneficial eaten broiled dipped in salt
> broth water and roots. Of the white foods best with airag."
>
> So my guess that it was a translation problem is probably right.
>
> Hrothny
>

OK, I'm going to chime in here with a fact- it may be a translation problem,
but the word would not be marmot, most likely. Why? Because marmots are too
big to be referred to as "mice with the hairy tail". Possibly "rats with the
hairy tail". Gerbils are about the size of mice- marmots are about the size
of cats- think "groundhog" since our groundhogs are a species of marmot.
Rats are somewhere between the two in size.

I can attest that marmots/groundhogs are good eating, btw. If barbecued when
young, tthey're excellent- older ones need to be stewed, and a pair of
glands removed.

Saint Phlip,
CoD

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....



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