[Sca-cooks] OOP(?): Fragrant Candle Cookies

Sandragood at aol.com Sandragood at aol.com
Wed Dec 13 10:08:41 PST 2006


 
Once again my comments on historical links to modern foods has raised  
eyebrows.  ;-)
 

I guess for most I should have stated it "may have" medieval ties.  In  doing 
my research for various projects, I have found many surprising and some  not 
so surprising similarities in  foods and preparation techniques  throughout 
cuisine of the Mongol, Asian, and Arabic lands as well as  European.  This has 
even become the basis for my next Arts & Sciences  project.
 
I have most enjoyed finding similarities to modern foods that "could have"  
origins dating back to medieval times.  When creating my menu for event  
breakfast, I use the period terms for scramble eggs, french toast, etc.
 
My "being Thai" comment had more to do with the region, not the  country.  
Thailand is in a region that was bordered by two very dominant  cultures.  The 
Mongol/Chinese and the Muslim/Arabic.  Most  automatically assume China, with 
the second assumption being India.   Neither one is truly wrong, however, I 
find these assumptions are usually based  on modern relations.  History takes it 
deeper than that.
 
My connection to the medieval reference stems from my previous  research.  
Smoking as a flavoring agent has been used in Asian and Arabic  cuisine.  I do 
not have "factual" references for the Asian "period"  references, but I do for 
the Arabic.
 
Cuisine is one of those things in daily life that is easily adapted changed  
or influenced by the happenings of the world around.  New conquests (or  even 
marriage alliances) would bring new ingredients, tools, and methods of  
preparation that would be easily integrated into the current cuisine of a  region.  
This was the basis of a recent class I taught on the Arabic  influences on 
regional cuisine throughout Europe.
 
Throughout the history of Muslim conquests, they held lands throughout  most 
of the Mediterranean area (southern Europe, Turkey, The Levant,  Arabian 
Peninsula, and northern Africa) as well as into southern Asia and  modern day 
India.  Most often these conquests lasted decades.  On  another note, most of the 
Mongol expansion into western lands happened after the  eastern expansion of 
the Muslims.  Even at the time of Mughal (Mongol) rule  during the 1500's, the 
rulers were adherents of Islam.  
 
Please keep in mind I did say medieval ties, not historical proof.   The jump 
from a flatbread to a cookie would need to be found.  The  preparation of 
smoking a "bread" was an Arabic practice.  Whether or not  they sweetened a 
flatbread that would work for this preparation, I would have to  research further.  
Finding other similar preparation references in other  cuisine would also 
help.  The use of incense smoke as a flavoring agent  would also need to be 
researched.
 
Liz
(still loving the period sources for spiced lemonade and funnel  cakes)



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