[Sca-cooks] Ober eine altfranzische Handschrift zu Innsbruck

[Terry Decker]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sam Wallace" <guillaumedep at worldnet.att.net>

Guillaume

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.

Quarteron - Litterally a quarter, but here probably a quarter 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?

*****************

What's a pound?  The Roman pound (libra) had 12 ounces and weighed roughly 
.722 English pounds.  The Spanish and Portuguese libras have 16 ounces and 
usually weigh between 1.011 and 1.016 English pounds.  I would have expected 
spices to be measured in troy weights, as that was a common practice of 
apothecaries and spice sellers, but the troy pound is only about .822 
English pounds.

The French pound was a variable weight that was standardized around 1350 as 
the "livre de Paris" as a pound of 16 ounces weighing roughly 1.079 English 
pounds.

What is interesting is Liege appears to be using the "libra mercatoria" of 
7200 grains divided into 15 ounces.  This system was replaced in England by 
avoirdupois weights around 1300.  The standard English pound is 7000 grains, 
making the equivalent English weight 1.02857 pounds.

I've never encountered sattin or estrellin and given the common meanings of 
quarter, the quarteron is probably and instruction to use 1/4 of whatever 
measure you are basing the mixture on.  A pound is probably as good a basis 
as any for the recipe.

Bear