[Sca-cooks] squash was Seljuk/Rumi/Sufi Cuisine

[Johnna Holloway]

Of course the acclaimed new translation of Le Menagier
titled The Good Wife's Guide uses the word "squash"
in several recipes.
The translators explain in a footnote that "prior to
the introduction of new varieties of squash from the Americas, European
courges were gourds...".

My copy of Sufi Cuisine doesn't mention zucchini by the way, but it may
be the English edition.

Johnnae

On Apr 28, 2010, at 4:25 PM, lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:

> I wrote:
>> (sarcasm on) She also includes such 13th century
>> Anatolian favorites as butternut squash and
>> zucchini, both New World in origin. (sarcasm off)
>> And yet she is careful to exclude other New World
>> plants, such as tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers,
>> and chilis from her recipes.
>
> Angharad wondered:
>> Is she suggesting them as substitutes for the period 'gourd'? I've  
>> seen this
>> done before (and done it myself, upon occasion).
>
> Nope, she presents butternut squash and zucchini as ancient Seljuk  
> vegetables. Now, someone on this list mentioned that perhaps there  
> was a translation problem.