[Sca-cooks] Spices and comfit boxes

Johnna Holloway johnnae at mac.com
Thu Jul 14 15:25:16 PDT 2011


Today I came across another mention
where it is stated that spices were served at the end of a meal. This  
would be circa 1400.

The book is Chronicles of England, France, Spain, and the adjoining  
countries ..., Volume 2 from 1839
  By Jean Froissart, Jean-Baptiste de La Curne de Sainte-Palaye from  
CHAPTER IX. WHEN THE KING OF FRANCE IS AT TOULOUSE, HE SUMMONS THE  
COUNT DE FOIX, WHO, ON HIS ARRIVAL, PAYS HIM HOMAGE FOR HIS COUNTY OF  
FOIX.

"After this, wine and spices were brought, and the comfit box was  
presented solely to the king by the count de Harcourt. Sir Gerard de  
la Pierre did the same to the duke of. Bourbon, and sir Menaut de  
Noailles to the count de Foix*. When this was  done, it was about four  
o'clock in the afternoon: the count de Foix took leave of the king,  
the duke of Bourbon, and the other lords, and, leaving the hall, went  
into the court, where he found his horses and attendants waiting for  
him." page 422-423

Note that it says spices and then later says comfit box. I suspect  
that later authors might have simply read this passage and thought  
they served whole spices. We are well aware of what comfits are, but  
earlier medievalists might have just assumed these were spices.

A footnote on page 423 says "There was another custom at the tables of  
the king and great barons, which was not usual at the entertainments  
of private persons. Besides the spices which composed the dessert, and  
were intended for the guests in common, there were other more rare  
spices, that were served in a box divided into compartments, which was  
of gold, silver, or silver gilt, and called a 'drageoir' (comfit  
box.)  It was commonly a squire or some person of distinction who had  
the honour to present it to his lord alone, unless he wished to have  
particular respect paid to any of his guests, to whom he sent it."  
Froissart is then quoted  as in the text, by M. le Grand d'Aussy, to  
whom I refer for further particulars respecting this and other ancient  
customs, in his " Vie privee des Fraucois."
Count De Harcourt Presenting The Comfit-box To The King. Designed from  
Royal MS. 14 E. 4 appears as an illustration.

This volume is up on Google Books.

http://tinyurl.com/6962576

Johnnae



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