[Sca-cooks] Alliger - Fwd: [Medieval-Sciences] Egg Question

[Terry Decker]

In context, alliger is almost certainly "alegar" or malt vinegar.

On the suet/tallow question, suet is specifically hard fat, usually from 
around the kidneys.  Tallow is rendered suet, not a mixture of wax and suet 
as is stated.

Bear


> I got the following email on another list, and thought I could get
> help here on the first question. What is alliger?
>
> I have a guess that it is something akin to vinegar, but made from
> "ale" or "beer" as opposed to "wine"?
>
> Can anyone confirm or deny this? I'm at work and don't have access
> to any of my books.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Euriol
> -------- Original Message --------
>  SUBJECT:
>  [Medieval-Sciences] Egg Question
>  DATE:
>  Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:45:33 -0500 (EST)
>  FROM:
>  Susan Koziel
>  TO:
>  Slavic Interest Group , Medieval-Sciences at yahoogroups.com
> Hi all,
> I'm going back over all my egg decoration
> information, and I was re-checking all my experiments
> with Hugh Plat's acid etching description and I have a
> question... well two actually:
> 1) Quoting Hugh Plat:
> "hen lay this eg thus engraved in good wine vinegar or
> strong alliger in a Glasse or stone Pottinger, for
> some six or eight houres, or more, or lesse, according
> to the strength and
> sharpnesse of the Vinegar, then
> take out the egge"
> .... What is alliger?
> 2) Suet as I know it (molten fat, then hardened and
> cooled) doesn't work - it actually doesn't work if
> it's "molten" as described in the method. If applied
> while cool (and thick enough) it doesn't hold the
> engraving very well and you get blobs not pictures.
> Molten bees wax works lovely and makes clear images.
> (But certainly doesn't dissolve "in water that is
> blood warme")
> In the 1500's did suet mean something other then what
> it means now?
> Were Suet and Tallow exchangeable term?
> (Tallow - a mix of Suet and wax might work - but I
> haven't tried it.)
> Any help people can be would be great.
> Thanks.
> -Kataryna