[Sca-cooks] A good source? was "period spice containers/storage"

James Prescott prescotj at telusplanet.net
Wed Jul 6 10:45:54 PDT 2011


I too am rather suspicious, so I've been googling.

There are certainly objects called "spice plates" in some
inventories and lists of items purchased.  For example:

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78604/spice-plate-abraham-sacrificing-isaac/
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156626/tazza/?print=1
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4446550
http://www.barleyhall.org.uk/JCollanInventory.asp
http://www.yorkarchaeology.co.uk/resources/AY2-2-bridgemasters.pdf



I have found a reference to a possible earlier source for the
story about handing around actual spices:  "The Medieval English
Feast", by William Edward Mead, 1931 (reprinted 1967).  I don't
have a copy, but if anyone has access to one could they check it,
probably page 77, and see what it says.


Also from
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=75717
we have
"To serve the ladies Mary and Elizabeth with spices, wafers, and 
wine: the lord Hastings to bear the cup to lady Mary, and the lord 
Delaware that to lady Elizabeth; lord Dacres of the South to bear the 
spice plates to both, lord Cobham the wafers, and lord Montagew to 
uncover the spice plate."


Also from
http://books.google.com/books?id=r44plPoT3bIC
we have
"Apon Seynt Georges day or even
If it be a fasting day, than there is a voyde servid. And then a 
gentleman ussher appoynt a lorde for the spice plate; a cuppberare 
and a gentleman ussher to beare the bolles and bring them to the 
cubberde.  Then every one of the ordre in his degree cometh and 
servith the king of the voyde and a gentilman ussher to see them that 
shall beare the spice plate armed with the towelles abowt theire 
[blank]. And the kinges spice plate to be covered, and one towell."


Neither of these says what was on the spice plate.


Thorvald



At 12:10 PM -0400 7/6/11, Johnna Holloway wrote:
>  The source is 20 plus years old and it's also a translation so
>  that might play into the accuracy.
>  The original is titled Das Paradies, der Geschmack und die 
> Vernunft. It came out in 1990.
>
>  I am wondering if they confused spices with what were really spice 
> confits or candied spices.
>  Was the sugar part left out?
>
>  Johnnae
>
>  On Jul 6, 2011, at 10:22 AM, Daniel Myers wrote:
>
>>
>>  I haven't read the book, but it disturbs me a bit to see the only
>>  citation in a quote from a tertiary source being another tertiary
>>  source. Unless Schivelbusch refers to a primary source for such 
>> use of a "spice
>>  platter", or unless you can find a primary or secondary source that
>>  confirms Schivelbusch's assertion, then it should be treated as
>>  conjecture.
>>
>>  - Doc
>>
>>
>>>  -------- Original Message --------
>>>  From: Annofnite at aol.com
>>>  snipped
>>>  Tastes of Paradise: A Social History of Spices,  Stimulants, and
>>>  Intoxicants
>>>  by Wolfgang Schivelbusch
>>>  published by  Vintage Books, A Division of Random House ISBN  
>>>  0-679-74438-X



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