[Sca-cooks] honey/sweeteners in Iceland?
Stefan li Rous
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
Mon Aug 4 13:00:35 PDT 2008
I've been talking to this lady about food in Iceland since she is
looking for background info on an historical novel she is writing
based in 10th century Iceland. I pointed her to Nanna's book. For
those who weren't on this list a while back, Nanna is an Icelander
who has written several books on Icelandic food. The one in English is:
> Icelandic Food and Cookery
> Nanna Rognvaldardottir
> ISBN: 0-7818-0878-2
> Hippocrene Books, New York
> 220 pages
> 2001
Anyway she recently asked this question:
<<<<
When Norse immigrants arrived in Iceland, were there bees ... what
did they have to add a sweetener to their food in the 9th and 10th
century?
Pauline Kulseth
pkulseth at rconnect.com
>>>>
My feeling is that they would not have had sugar and even honey is
questionable. I don't know if they brought bees with them, nor am I
sure whether honey bees would even survive in Iceland. Trade was
scarce between Iceland and Scandinavia even at first and got more so
as the mini-Ice-Age developed, so I'm not sure it was imported or not.
Anyone have any comments on this? Please remember that Pauline is not
on this list and copy her on your message just in case I don't see it
to forward it.
Thanks,
Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous Barony of Bryn Gwlad Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris Austin, Texas
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at: http://www.florilegium.org ****
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