[Sca-cooks] Tree Saps: Was New World Food

[Nick Sasso]

-----Original Message-----
Well there is the difference I suppose.  I don't think we have to have it in
the written word or a painting to believe that someone, somewhere, given the
tools, and skills of the time, wouldn't have tried it.

There are hundreds of thousands of things we do everyday that aren't written
down in a book, or a picture painted of.  It doesn't mean it didn't happen,
only means that no one bothered to record it.
< < < SNIP> > >
We know people played with recipes and techniques even back then.  Look at
the variations of 'documented' recipes for Blancmanger.  I agree we need to
be as period as we can, but don't think we should leave out creativity for
the sake of documentation.  > > > > > >

Neither should anyone discard actual learned, educated research and reason
for the sake of creativity however empassioned and honest.

Ummm . . . what is Modern American maple syrup a "variation" of from
Medieval Europe?  Using sap for a beverage flavoring is far too reomved from
boiling maple sap for a syrup to be considered a raesonable argument.  You
give us similar sap consitituants and behaviors of a given period species as
relates to the colonial American Sugar Maple, and we are onto something
debatable.

I am late to the thread, but immediately come to the question of whther the
specific tools and implements and processes are extant somehwere in Europe
in the specific time period in question?  Without at least SOME indication
that someone had what it took, we are using for a the reasonable existance
of this syrup production . . . spontaneous development.  Truly the weakest
of any support, and of no real value in establishing the veracity of a
belief.  Without some sort of logical progression or inference to get across
the gap between what is provable and what is believed . . . we have
unadulterated speculation.

I refuse to stipulate "who's to say that someone, somewhere, given the
tools, and skills of the time, wouldn't have tried it".  All the tools and
skills existed for production of insulated glass panels, ballistic missles,
compound bows and other rather silly examples.  They simply were not made,
and serve as examples that deflate the logical assumption of "they could
have".

niccolo difrancesco
(wishing does not make it so . . . give us some understandable reason to
guide us to where you are in your beliefs.)