[Sca-cooks] pease please and beans

[Terry Decker]

There are a number of varieties of fava beans.  Broad beans are another name 
for favas.  I've never encountered the idea that the broad bean is extinct, 
so I would assume it is erroneous until you can verify the source.

Chickpeas have been found in Neolithic sites in Switzerland.  Chickpeas and 
lentils have been widely used in Europe for around 10,000 years.

Black-eyed peas have been eaten in Europe since Antiquity particularly in 
Southern Europe.  Where the term "phaseolus" is used prior to 1492, the 
subject is probably Vigna unguiculata.  This is the original "kidney bean."

The beans described by Gerard are probably all of New World origin. 
Gerard's taxonomy has been replaced by the Linnean taxonomy, so one needs to 
be careful with Gerard's nomenclature.

Just for giggles, here's a site that give relationships between common names 
for various beans:

http://www.foodsubs.com/Beans.html

They use "field pea" for the adzuki bean, which may mean that "field pea" 
may have regional meanings as well as referring to actual field peas.

Bear


> I have been doing my utmost to digest all of these pease and beans (sorry, 
> couldn't resist). However, I am not sure that I have been successful. The 
> following is my attempt at reducing all of this information to a usable 
> table. I have also pulled extensively on the Florilegium, encyclopedias, 
> period cookbooks of which I am familiar, some anthropological books I have 
> around here, and what not. My reason for posting this to the list is to 
> get corrections, expansions, and more extensive comments.  (The table 
> seems fairly short. )
>
> *Bean
> * *Period & Region
> * *Comments
> *
> Fava Bean
> Used by Romans throughout their empire, continued use in the Mediterranean 
> today.
> /Vicia faba: /There appears to be more than one version of the Fava Bean. 
> The ones I find in Middle Eastern stores are smaller and lighter colored 
> than the ones I find in mainstream Grocery stores.
> Broad Bean
> Unsure of period or region
> This bean is extinct, the fava bean is an acceptable substitution.
> Garbanzo Beans
> Unsure of period, used throughout the Mediterranean.
> /Cicer arietinum, chickpease, chiche, chickpea/: Apparently available in 
> white and red forms with red being considered the better variety. 
> (Castelvetro)
> Lentils
> Available in period, but unsure of use in Europe. Widely cultivated. Of 
> southwestern Asian or Eurasian descent.
> /Lens culinaris/:
> Turkish Beans
> Available after the discovery of the New World. Found at least in Italy 
> and probably through out Europe.
> The translator Gillian Riley (of Castelvetro) interpreted this to be the 
> Runner Bean, also known as the French Bean. Similar to /Phaseolus vulgaris 
> /but perennial. (/Phaseolus coccineus, //Phaseolus multiflorus). /Not 
> related to Turkey, but again a misnamed New World food..
> Black-eyed Pea
> Available in period. African in origin. Available in Italy and parts of 
> Europe by the 1400 (or possibly earlier).
> /Vigna unguiculata:  /Also known as cowpea and catjang. (/Vigna Sinensis, 
> Vigna Catjang). /
> Kidney Bean
> At least 16th century England
> /Phaseolus Smilax (Gerard)/: From Gerard's Herball, pg 1211-1216
>
>
> I also pulled from the Florilegium this listing of Kidney Bean from 
> Gerard's Herball (I did not check it for accuracy yet.)
>
> 1. Phaseolus Albus - Garden or White kidney bean
> 2. Phaseolus Niger - Black Kidney bean
> 3. Smilax hortensus rubra - Red Kidney bean
> 4. Smilax hortensus flava - Pale yellow Kidney Bean
> 5. Phaseolus peregrinus fructu minore alba - Indian Kidney Bean with
> a small white fruit
> 6.Phaseolus peregrinus fructa minore frutescens - Indian Kidney Bean
> with a small red fruit
> 7. Phaseolus prergrinus augustifolius - Narrow leafed Kidnay bean
> (with a small red fruit)
> 8.Phaseolus Brasilianus - Kidney Bean of Brazil
> 9. Phaseolus Egyptanicus - Parti-coloured bean of Egypt.
>
>
> Pax,
> Aoghann
> <>"As is often the case, the more you dig, the more confusing things
> become..." Adamantius
> _______________________________________________
> Sca-cooks mailing list
> Sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
> http://www.ansteorra.org/mailman/listinfo/sca-cooks
>