[Sca-cooks] Sugar

[Elise Fleming]

Suey wrote:
>but am I in 13th century, my sugar is brown not white. (snip)
>By the way I have been using only brown sugar of late when 
>I cook as I only prepare 13-15th century dishes. I find it much richer. 

Would you clarify what you mean by "brown sugar"?  In the US, "brown sugar"
is a moist, brown version of sugar (with molasses still in it?) which is
not suitable for period use.  Turbinado sugar is tan-colored, which some
might call brown and would be acceptable for some dishes.  However, period
sugar was not necessarily "brown".  There really was "white" sugar
available, although not for all economic levels.  It depended on how close
one lived to the period refineries, how much money one had to spend, and
whether the whitest sugar was actually shipped outside of the area.  During
the early Crusades, the whitest sugar (according to the historian Strong)
was reserved for the Egyptian caliphate (if my memory serves).

Ysabeau remembers sugar cane... I just saw some two weeks ago in that fancy
grocery store (the name is escaping me!) in Austin, Texas.

Alys Katharine

Elise Fleming
alysk at ix.netcom.com
http://home.netcom.com/~alysk/