[Sca-cooks] Seljuk/Rumi/Sufi Cuisine

[Terry Decker]

There is a problem linguistically differentiating (in Greek and Latin) 
between wild celery and parsley (as between carrots and parsnips), although 
it is likely that the usage in the Odessey is for wild celery.  It is 
referenced in Old French under the term "ache" from which is derived the 
English "smallage."  Wild celery was used during the Middle Ages as a 
medicine and a flavoring.  According to a couple sources, the first 
reference (which I have not yet found) to cultivated celery is by Olivier de 
Serres in 1623, which makes a 16th Century date for cultivation highly 
probable.  Whether or not the early cultivated celery is similar to modern 
cultivated celery, I don't know.

Bear

----- Original Message ----- 

Now a question: she also has a recipe for a dish
whose central ingredient is modern,
thick-stalked, crunchy celery. Now celery likely
originated in the Mediterranean, so it is Old
World. But I recall discussions that what we know
today wasn't historically accurate for ancient
Roman cuisine. And i have also read that the kind
of celery we mostly use was not developed until
the 17th century. So it seems that something like
modern celery would not have been around by the
13th c. Am i mistaken?

-- 
Urtatim [that's err-tah-TEEM]
the persona formerly known as Anahita