[Sca-cooks] 14th Century Food Imports

[Terry Decker]

I think you will find the route through the Steppes with or without a drop 
south to the main Silk Road was a favorite of the Europeans.  It mostly 
avoided Byzantium and the Arabs (reducing duties on imported goods) and was 
a faster (because of navigation on the rivers and inland seas) and more 
direct route for the diplomatic expeditions going to Karakorum and Khanbelig 
(Beijing), the capitols of Mongol dominated China.  There were a number of 
outposts and colonies around the Black Sea to take advantage of the trade.

The route lost some of it's popularity after the Ming dynasty booted the 
Mongols out of China and moved the capitol to Nanking.  In the late 14th 
Century to 1405, Tamerlane controlled most of the central area of the route. 
When his empire disintegrated after his death, banditry and tribal warfare 
reduced the flow of goods over the route.  The fall of Constantinople in 
1453 and the expansion of the Ottomans into the area around the Black Sea 
ended European control of the western end of the route.

Pegolotti, being a merchant rather than a monk, viewed "comfort" and profit 
as desirable.  I suspect his view was more common on the road to China than 
asceticism or chivalry.

Bear

> Mille grazie, Signore Bear,
>
>  And double that for the link and additional comments.  I'm the veriest 
> beginner at this and didn't know/wouldn't have been looking for the two 
> trade routes...  Cool text.  "Irregularities" being practiced against 
> Franks during Tatar? interregnum particularly caught my eye, as did the 
> bit about bringing along a woman (any woman will do), for "comfort."
>
>  Thanks,
>  Judith