[Sca-cooks] Ober eine altfranzische Handschrift zu Innsbruck

[Sam Wallace]

Hello All,

I was trying to track down a word for a translation I am working on 
("mughettes" which turns out to be grains of paradise) and I found this link 
to a journal with an article on medieval medicinal recipes:

Ober eine altfranzische Handschrift zu Innsbruck, Romanische Forschungen, IX 
Band

(http://books.google.com/books?id=DRUMAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA303&lpg=PA303&dq=mughettes&source=web&ots=jg8rgSoOhT&sig=JQXero9DZjIRNT9DT6J_ekmN8nk#PPA22,M1
)

There were a few powder recipes I thought might be of interest to this 
group, so I translated them. I am posting the transcription for each recipe, 
followed by the translation, and then followed by any notes I might have. 
Please not that this is a "quick and dirty" translation. I followed the 
original for puctuation and grammar and lack thereof. I have been compiling 
a bibliography of culinary works. I had not come across this one before, so 
it was a happy surprise for me - a sort of early holiday gift. I hope it is 
enjoyed in that spirit.

Guillaume
*************

[Fol. 30a]

Pouldre de duc a le manière de coulongne. Prendez succre fin troiz sattins 
dont le sattin fait chincq estrellins et demi sattin de fleurs muschades et 
demi sattin de claux de giroffle et demi sattin de canelle et vne noix 
mnschade seiche et les estampez en pouldre delye et puiz sy le passes.

Duke's powder in the manner of Cologne. Take three sattins of fine sugar 
such that the sattin makes five estrellins and a half sattin of mace and a 
half sattin of cloves and a half sattin of cinnamon and a dry nutmeg and 
crush in delicate powder and then sift.

Sattin - One quarter of an ounce, in Liège 7.298 grams (0.2574 modern 
ounces) (Doursther).

Estrellin - apparently, a fifth of a sattin. I do not have the Doursther 
reference handy to check.



Pouldre de duc pour en faire vng quarteron prendes de canelle vng sissain et 
de gingembre vng tierchain et demi tierchain de cloux et graine et les 
mettez tout ensamble. Et puiz sy prendez vng sissain dicelle pouldre et vng 
quarteron de chucre et mettez tout ensamble.



Duke's powder to make a fourth part take of cinnamon a sixth part and of 
ginger a third part and a half third part of cloves and grains of paradise 
and put them all together. And then take a sixth part of this powder and a 
fourth part of sugar and put all together.



Quarteron - Litterally a quarter, but here probably a quarter pound.



Pouldre bien bonne. Prendez de rouges roses secques des noix mughettes du 
galliofille cest a scauoir des rachines de le chamamille du garingal et des 
foelles de lorier añ, et essues ce com se doit essuer. Et puiz battez tout 
ensamble en pouldre tres delie et le gardez. Car ycelle pouldre vault a 
moult de choses. Car elle est moult confortatine. Et qui en metteroit en 
lessuie et puiz en lauast on son chief il ne seroit riens plus souef 
flairans et se conforte le chief. Et qui en frotroit ses membres son corps 
et sa poittrine elle les feroit flairier très souef.



Well good powder. Take dried red roses grains of paradise cloves clean 
chamomille roots galingale and bay leaves thus, and water as needed to wash. 
And then beat all together in very delicate powder and hold. Because this 
powder goes with many things. Because it is very comforting. And who puts it 
in water and then in washing his head he will no longer sniffle breathing 
and will confort his head. And who rubs her limbs her body and her chest she 
will breathe very strongly.



Añ - I do not have access to the original manuscript, but it was common to 
abbreviate words by truncating them and placing a line or other mark over 
the last letter or letters. I am translating añ as ainsi based on this and 
context.

Mughettes - Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta)



[fol. 30b]



Pouldre pour vser en potaiges bien bonne. Prendez du boin fin saffrencq 
dortte le quart dun sattin et de gyngembre demi onche et de canelle de 
fleurs muscades de cloux de giroffle de noix muscades añ demi sattin. Et 
primes mettez vostre saffrencq repose en troiz louchies ou enniron de boin 
vin aigre vng petit chault. Puiz le séchiez et estampes bien. Et priz quant 
tout est bien estampe et passe en pouldre délie si ostes le gros marcq et le 
rebattez auecques vostre dit saffrencq et son vin aigre et puiz en faittes 
masse.



Well good powder for use in soups. Take good fine saffron it needs the 
quarter of a sattin and of ginger half and ounce and of cinnamon of mace of 
cloves of nutmegs thus half a sattin. And first put your saffron to repose 
in three ladles or thereabouts of good vinegar a little bit hot. Then dry it 
and stamp it well. And take when all is well stamped and sifted in delicate 
powder so hoist the large grounds and re-beat with your said saffron and its 
vinegar and then do into the mass.



Aultre pouldre pour vser en potaiges et en toutes les viandes. Prendez 
canelle noix muscades et des foelles des noix muscades et de tout ce faittes 
pouldre tout ensamble.



Other good powder for using in soups and in all meats. Take cinnamon nutmegs 
and nutmeg leaves and of all this make powder all together.



Pouldre de duc. Pour en faire vne lieure prendez de canelle demi onche de 
gyngembre vng sissain giroffle graine muscades et chucre vne liure.



Duke's powder. To make a pound take of cinnamon a half ounce of ginger a 
sixth part cloves grains of paradise nutmegs and sugar one pound.



Pound - In Liège 467.1 grams (1.030 of a modern pound) (Doursther).

This totals to more than a pound! Are some of the ingredients lost in the 
grinding or is the author mathematically challenged?



Pouldre de poiure. Prendez de poiure deux parties et vne de coulombin et les 
broijez sans aultre chose.



Pepper powder. Take of pepper two parts and one of ginger and crush them 
without other things.



Coulombin - a variety of ginger.



Pouldre bien forte. Prendez quarterons .III. de coulombin et de noir poiure 
rout quarteron .I. et de muscade vng sissain et de saffrencq dortte vng 
sissain. -



Good strong powder. Take 3 fourth parts of ginger and of black pepper sort a 
fourth part 1 and of nutmeg a sixth part and of saffron it needs a sixth 
part. -