[Sca-cooks] help for 1250 French/Greek

Terry Decker t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net
Tue Jul 4 12:02:38 PDT 2006


The earliest version of the Viandier was written between 1250 and 1300 
predating the Viandier of Tallivent.  It might be a useful source.  One 
might also consider the "Regimen sanitatis salerni," "De flore dietarum," 
and the Medieval Arab Cookery that we've been discussing.  What is really 
needed is information about the culinary tradition of Lusignan Cyprus, but I 
don't know of any references.

Since the Seventh Crusade is from 1244 to 1250, I assume the 1251 is 
presumed to their point of existence.  I haven't looked at Joinville in 
years, but I vaguely remember the mentions of food as things eaten in the 
field or, at least, during the Crusade.  For a broader idea of the kinds of 
goods and foodstuffs that flowed into the Levant at the time, one should 
check the taxes for the Kingdom of Jerusalem 
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/taxesjlem.html .

Since running a sugar plantation was one of the most profitable occupations 
in the Medieval world, the household would likely have access to more costly 
spices and foods than would be common.

Bear

>I just got a request from a friend, and all I can offer is that maybe Le
> Viandier's recipes came from an earlier book in her time period, and I 
> know
> of no Greek period cookbooks. What do you smart people have to say?
>
>>  I was curious if you had any help finding documentation for a potential
> Art/Sci project.  My personna is a French women (originally from Troyes)
> who went on the 7th Crusade (1251) with King Louis as a      >retainer to
> the Countess of Champaigne and also to assist Margaret (Louis' wife) who
> was pregnant and delivered in Damietta.  My personna ended up marrying a
> gentle who belonged to the Order of Santiago >de Compostela and we are in
> charge of running a sugar plantation on the island of Cyprus (probably 
> near
> Paphos).  I would love to serve a luncheon/banquet for the next Art/Sci
> judges that would be completely >representative of what I would serve.  I
> have some documentation from Joinville's account that they had wheat,
> barley, rice, cumin and sugar, but not much else.  Any help would be
> greatly appreciated.
>>
>
> Thanks in advance,
> ~Aislinn~





More information about the Sca-cooks mailing list