[Sca-cooks] bretzel, bread and lye oh my

[wheezul at canby.com]

>> This led me to wonder if the source for that statement was based on
>> something in Alexander Neckam's lexicon.  Unfortunately, my latin is
>> limited, and I didn't find an obvious list of bready type things (grains
>> though!).  I did note that the master cook (archimacherus) had in his
>> cabinet 'vel salem panem' along with the spices, amidum and aromatics.
>> These sound cracker like to me, but the footnotes say 'sianum (all.
>> semmel)' which I think at least later is a white bread roll. I wonder if
>> it could be a pretzel? But alas, no word.  (Note to self - check Du
>> Cange).  There's also a list of equipment in the kitchen that bears
>> translating.
>>
>
> Semmel can be either fine wheat flour or a roll made from fine wheat
> flour.
> When your're dealing with Latin, it can mean anything made with fine wheat
> flour.

> Bear

I am now wondering how salt was traded.  Could this be loaves of salt?  It
might make more sense in terms of being in the spice cabinet.

Katherine