[Sca-cooks] ISO resources for history of cast iron cookware

[David Walddon]

AM - Where did you get the cast bronze cauldron? I want on but am loath to pay the shipping from Britain. 
Eduardo 


On Jun 14, 2011, at 7:26 AM, Anne-Marie Rousseau wrote:

> On the reactivity of brass and bronze cauldrons....
> 
> My discussions with the nice boys at Hampton Court, who use cast bronze
> cauldrons all the time is that the food does NOT turn out tasting nasty as
> long as you don't let it sit. Apparently the magics of thermodynamics means
> that as long as the food is heating inside the pot, the energy required for
> the chemical reaction is used up. 
> 
> If you remember, a fair number of recipes specify that you are to cook the
> dish, then transfer to a clean plate. According to the Hampton Court fellas,
> this serves to keep that unfortunate taste thing from happening. 
> 
> Neat, huh? :)
> 
> Certainly if the archeological record is to be considered, the majority of
> cookware was cast bronze (cast by bell makers, perhaps?), fabricated tinned
> vessels and ceramics. I have used all three in re-enactment settings to good
> results :).
> 
> --Anne-Marie
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sca-cooks-bounces+dailleurs=liripipe.com at lists.ansteorra.org
> [mailto:sca-cooks-bounces+dailleurs=liripipe.com at lists.ansteorra.org] On
> Behalf Of Terry Decker
> Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2011 6:33 AM
> To: Cooks within the SCA
> Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] ISO resources for history of cast iron cookware
> 
>> Chinese cauldrons seem like the most likely import, then; and I did 
>> specify 1500s, so I had the time right as well. As for compactness and 
>> value, two important factors: cauldrons that, unlike brass, bronze and 
>> copper, don't make acid foods taste revolting have a high value; two, 
>> cauldrons make wonderful containers to ship other things in. So Portugal 
>> probably had some cast iron cauldrons, in the homes of the extremely 
>> screamingly wealthy (Kings and merchant-princes), that came originally 
>> from China, before 1600. Doesn't do the rest of us trying to do cooking at
> 
>> events in period pots any good, but it's interesting.
>> 
>> Yours in service to both the Societies of which I am a member-
>> (Friend) Honour Horne-Jaruk, R.S.F.
>> Alizaundre de Brebeuf, C.O.L. S.C.A.- AKA Una the wisewoman, or That Pict
> 
> Ceramic cookware was common and that handles the problem of acidic foods.
> 
> While cast iron cookware may or may not have been imported from China, 
> importing the idea is less expensive, even with the cost of fuel in Europe. 
> England and France were expanding iron production in the 16th Century and 
> England and the Dutch were major players in the Lisbon spice market (at 
> least until 1594).  Examples of cast iron cookware from the 17th Century are
> 
> still around and the cookware became common in the 18th and later Centuries.
> 
> There is an interesting parallel with porcelain, which was definitely 
> imported from China by the Portuguese.  European manufacture didn't start 
> until 1575 and wasn't on par with the Chinese until 1708.  If the Portuguese
> 
> were importing cast iron pots, I would expect to find a few examples still 
> with us.  While the lack of pre-17th Century cast iron cookware is not 
> definitive, it is suggestive of both lack of import and lack of manufacture.
> 
> Bear 
> 
> 
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