[Sca-cooks] New World Foods / potato in Rumpolt?

[Terry Decker]

I have seen one reference (by a German linguist) where "erdapfel" is 
directly related to "pepomellone" (hope I spelled that right) in Platina. 
That would relate "erdapfel" to globular gourds or melons.  The location in 
Rumpolt suggests that this might be a melon.

By Clusius's own statement, he received the potatoes in 1587 and a drawing 
in 1588.  To quote his herbal of 1601,
"I received the first authentic information about this plant from Phillipus 
de Sivry, Dn. De Walhain and the Prefect of the City of Mons in Hannonia, of 
the Belgians, who sent two tuber of it, with its fruit, to me in Vienna, 
Austria, at the beginning of the year 1587; and in the following year, a 
drawing of the branch with a flower. He wrote that he had received it the 
preceeding year from a certain employee of the Pontifical Legation in 
Belgium. "

Bear

----- Original Message ----- 
Hmm.. Wikipedia says that in 1492, "erdapfel" referred to a globe (with no 
Americas between Europe and Japan).  Probably not the right reference, but 
interesting

http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.e/e712473.htm;internal&action=_setlanguage.action?LANGUAGE=en
Two potato tubers were sent to C. Clusius as a curiosity for the Vienna 
Botanical Gardens in 1588.

In modern Austria "Erdapfel" or "earth apple" means potato.  Rumpolt has an 
"erdtepffel" recipe #37 in the "Zugemuß" section, in between pear and apple 
recipes.   No one is certain what fruit or vegetable is meant, but it 
probably does not mean white potato.

Very similar to recipes given for apples. It could be like applesauce, or 
like mashed potatoes, but is not a soup recipe.

The recipe is a little obscure.. press the stuff thru a hair cloth and THEN 
cut to pieces and fry in bacon?

http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_veggie1.htm

37. Earth apples. Peel and cut them small/ soak (simmer) them in water/ and
press it well out through a hair (fine) cloth/ chop them small/ and fry them 
in bacon/
that is cut small/ take a little milk thereunder/ and let it simmer 
therewith/
so it is good and welltasting.

Gwen Cat comments that it might be a patty pan squash.  I think an Old world 
gourd is more likely than an New World squash, or something else altogether, 
but I haven't seen anything convincing one way or another.

Ranvaig