[Sca-cooks] Guinea Fowl

[Terry Decker]

Guinea fowl show up as "turkey" before the second quarter of the 16th 
Century when they were replaced by the New World turkey.  According to some 
sources, they were reintroduced into Europe during the Portuguese 
exploration of Africa.  The Romans referred to the Guinea fowl as the 
Numidian Hen.

They were introduced into the U.S. as Hungarian Guinea fowl.  You 
occasionally find them running wild in the prairie states.

Bear

>
> I'm wondering whether Guinea Fowl has been documented in period. According 
> to
> the Larousse Gastronomique, the bird is from Africa and was known to the
> Romans. I've also seen the term in Weaver's 'Food and Drink in Medieval 
> Poland'
> but I mistrust this source. It may have been an error in translation, and 
> since
> I can't remember where in his text I saw this I can't verify his source 
> (if
> any, and if available).
>
> Petru