[Sca-cooks] 'take wine or vinegar', was: Cinnamon ...

[emilio szabo]

>> The alternative wine/vinegar is current in humoral theory
>> and dietetics. The
>> choice of wine or vinegar depends on season in the first
>> place.
>
> Where would that substitution be justified?
The author is Magninus Mediolanensis (14th century, his work was printed in the 
15th century, there are manuscript sources). I quote some passages from Scully:


"The liquid base for the green sauce is regular vinegar in summer and a weaker 
vinegar or wine in winter. [footnote 21] Generally speaking a cook chose among 
half a dozen liquids to form a base for a sauce. In his preambles in both the 
'Opusculum' and Chapter xx of the 'Regimen', Magninus is quite explicit in 
stating which liquid ingredients may be employed in sauces. These ingredients 
vary according to the season of the year because of the general principle that 
in warm weather food is healthier if relatively cool in nature, whereas in cold 
weather food should be warmer. [footnote 22]  .... In summer the 'materiae' for 
sauces are verjuice, lime or lemon juice, vinegar, fresh elderberry juice, 
vine-shoot juice, pomegranate wine, [footnote 23] .... In winter, [footnote 25] 
permissible 'materiae' include mustard, rocket ... wine, meat broth and a weak 
vinegar which is close to the nature of wine (that is, warmer than normal 
vinegar). Vinegar is chosen here as a base for the green sauce because verjuice, 
the usual alternative, would make the sauce too cold [footnote 26] for winter 
consumption and would detract from the desired warming effect of the finished 
sauce upon its meat. Magninus does, however, supply seasonal variations: ...". 
Source: Terence Scully in Medium Aevum 1985, page 183.


As I am somewhat too lazy at the moment to key in the whole text you might want 
to have a look at the commentary of Scully on the Opusculum de saporibus and at 
the other works of Scully.


E.