[Sca-cooks] cuskynoles

emilio szabo emilio_szabo at yahoo.it
Fri Jul 30 12:40:53 PDT 2010


Katherine,

I think you are right or at least on the right path. Having pondered this 
question a while ago, I might add, that there is a recipe in the "Baghdad 
Cookery Book", that might be worth considering. No fruits mentioned; however, 
the overall architecture is not so far from the dish in question:

"KHUSHKNANAJ. -- Take fine white flour, and with every ratl mix three uqiya of 
sesame-oil, kneading into a firm paste. Leave to rise: then make into long 
loaves. Put into the middle of each loaf a suitable quantity of ground almonds 
and scented sugar mixed with rose-water, using half as much almonds as sugar. 
Then press together as usual, and bake in the oven: remove." (Islamic Culture, 
1939, p. 212). I know there is the more modern translation by Perry, but I 
cannot find the book for the moment.

As for the wandering of arabic recipes and dishes into medieval Europe, Maxime 
Rodinson has described some impressive examples.

On the tabular form of the Tacuini:

Tabular Form In Four Arabic Medical Texts From the 11th Century .FaridS.HADDAD

http://www.ishim.net/ishimj/2/11.pdf
(Journal of the International Society for the History of Islamic Medicine)

If I find my notes on the point, I might add one or more further reference(s). 
Perhaps the specialists on arabic cookery books might want to chime in.

E.


From Katherine:


I've got no horses in the cuskynole race, but the translation of Le Taquim
al-Sihha (Tawini Sanitatis) d'ibn Butlan came yesterday evening and I have
been engrossed in it.  I wish I could read Arabic, but since I can read
the French translation I thought I'd pass along the entry that correlates
to "cuskabenchi" in the Schachtafelen der Gesundheyt illustration I
posted.  Happily the mysterious dish name meanings are also revealed -
thanks Emilio!

While the illustration shows a round cake like food, it is clear that the
German illustrator (Hans Weiditz I believe) just drew what he thought it
might look like. For example, the drawing for a paradise apple correlates
to the entry for banana - apparently an unknown thing, or it is
incorrectly translated into the latin source.

On table XXV under Desserts

Khashkinanj and Dry Delicacies

Le khashkinanj, quand il est digéré est le plus nourrissant des desserts
grâce au pain qui entre dans sa composition.  Il descend lentement parce
que l'huile résiste même à la cuisson du pain.  Frits, ils sont plus
indigestes que cuits au four parce quie l'huile y est abondante et qu'ils
sont très gras.  Tous deux conviennent aux sportifs.  Parmi les friandises
sèches, l'ilk des difficile à digérer à cause de la malléablité qu'il a
acquise en étant mélangé à des oeufs sur le feu.  Celles qui fondent ont
les caractéristiques contraires.

The khashkinanj, when it is digested is the most nourishing of the
desserts thanks to the bread that enters into its composition.  It
descends slowly because the oil resists even the cooking of the bread. 
Fried, they are more indigestible than oven baked because the oil is
abundant in them and they are very fatty.  Both of them suit the
sportsmen.  Regarding the dry delicacies , the "ilk" are difficult to
digest because of the malleability that it obtains while being mixed of
eggs on the fire.  Those that dissolve have the opposite characteristics
[the German specifies melt under the tongue].

The translator notes that khashkinanj is "Crêpe faite de farine de froment
pure, de beurre, de sucre, d'amandes ou de pistaches, et de friandises
sécheses. (al-Mu'jam is reference).   [Crepe made with pure [white?] wheat
flour , butter, sugar, almonds or pistachios and of dried delicacies.]

"Ilk" is noted as the word for "toute gomme-résine masticable" (al-Munjid
reference). [All chewable gum-resins].

This is an 11th century treatise.  Maybe cuskynoles are based on this
Arabic food and came to Europe with the crusades?


Katherine

p.s. for Stefan -
[No diacritical marks:]
Le khashkinanj, quand il est digere est le plus nourrissant des desserts
grace au pain qui entre dans sa composition.  Il descend lentement parce
que l'huile resiste meme a la cuisson du pain.  Frits, ils sont plus
indigestes que cuits au four parce quie l'huile y est abondante et qu'ils
sont tres gras.  Tous deux conviennent aux sportifs.  Parmi les friandises
seches, l'ilk des difficile a digerer a cause de la malleablite qu'il a
acquise en etant melange a des oeufs sur le feu.  Celles qui fondent ont
les caracteristiques contraires.


      


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