[Sca-cooks] Nutmeg Leaves

[Sam Wallace]

A few years back, I translated a short part of an Old French manuscript. It
contains a recipe that includes nutmeg leaves:

Aultre pouldre pour vser enpotaiges et en toutes les viandes. Prendez
canelle noix muscades et des foelles des noix muscadeset de tout ce faittes
pouldre toutensamble.

Another good powder for use in soups and in all meats. Take cinnamon,
nutmegs and nutmeg leaves, and of all this make powder all together.

I was unable to locate a source of these leaves at the time, but just
managed to purchase some from a nursery. I will be testing out this blend
soon and will post the results if anyone is interested. I tried to find
another recipe that made use of this ingredient. I found a few, but none
that were medieval. I found another reference to their use in Le Livre
Assises de la cour des Bourgeois (Eng. trans.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/taxesjlem.html) a document detailing
taxes on goods paid to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This document also
mentions leaves of lavender and of gilliflower (cloves). I have found no
recipes using this last ingredient.

Has anyone else run across a medieval or Renaissance recipe that
incorporates either nutmeg or gilliflower leaves?

Thanks,

Guillaume