[Sca-cooks] Honey and the New World/Old World food game

[Stefan li Rous]

<<< The Vikings made mead of honey and it must be very early in the Middle Ages.
Ana >>>

was in reply to my statement:
<<< Sigh. Omitting honey means I can no longer work in how honey was used in
> the oldest alcoholic beverage, mead, or compare honey and sugar use or
> about the honey bee die-off. :-( Or that the biggest use of the honeybee is
> in pollinating imported fruits and crops from the Old World and not in
> harvesting honey. >>>

Yes, mead is probably man's oldest fermented beverage, dating from well before the time period we study.

Maybe you weren't on the list when we last discussed this game. I learned of this game here on this list and have used it, to great acclaim, in my barony's demos for the public. I've been asked whether I'm going to do the game in upcoming demos and I've had comments from demo organizers, both in and outside of the SCA, that it goes over well with the public.

I have an assortment of usually 20 foods. 10 that originated in the Old World and ten that originated in the New World.  They are in random order and I simply ask the individual, or small group, to put the Old World foods in one box and the New World foods in another.

Hey, I even told you how many of each there are. Should be easy, right? I can remember very few folks who have gotten all of the foods right or even close. Including most SCA folks. The two best I can remember were a local SCA person and a Middle School kid.

Then I pick up each item and explain where it did come from and sometimes extra tidbits that I happen to think are interesting. Many learned from my years on this list.

At the last demo there was a lady that thought for sure were American bees that made honey. I now wish I had her contact info so I could call her and tell her she was right, and I was wrong.

Of course I throw in some decoys. There are usually a can each of kidney beans and one of garbanzo or lava beans. I can then explain that beans existed in both places but the New World beans quickly wiped out the European beans except for a few such as favas and garbanzo.

The chocolate may have a Switzerland label.

Likewise, I usually have a Hungarian can of paprika.

I have a Mexican sugar cone, because it is different, but I can also explain that except for having too much molasses, it is close to how sugar arrived in European manor houses.

If I happen to have them, I'll have a package of corn tortillas and one of wheat tortillas. Not only does this let me point out that maize comes from the New World and wheat from the Old, but it lets me seque into how Mexican food is an excellent example of foods and ingredients from both the New and Old Worlds. Mexican food being particularly well known here in Texas, this works well.

If I don't have any tortillas, I usually have a can of maize (corn). Then I can explain that "corn" in English was/is a generic term for the local grain and that "maize" is a better term for what Americans call corn and remind them it was once called "Indian corn".

I have allspice, hopefully whole, so I can show that it is, indeed a single spice. And not, as I thought before joining the SCA, a mixture of different spices.

I may have sticks of cinnamon, since many people have never seen it in that form. I can then explain the difference between cassia and cinnamon. :-)

I may also have assorted cans of turkey, chicken and ham. Which lets me point out that most domesticated food animals are Old World. It also helps indicate why the native Americans never developed wheeled transport. It's hard to harness a turkey. :-)

A can of condensed milk often throws people until the point about most domesticated animals being from the Old World comes out.

I usually have a can of tomato paste. Quite a number of people think that tomatoes must be Old World since they play such a prominent place in Italian food today. 

Then there are the folks who will place the box of potatoes in the Old World because of the Irish potato famine.

A bottle of white peppercorns, let's me emphasis that most spices were Old World. I then ask them if they know the difference between white pepper, green pepper and black pepper. Then I have to add if I'm not quick enough, "besides the color.". :-)

I usually have a container of tea and one of coffee. Most people will guess correctly on the tea, but only a few are correct on coffee being from the Old World. Then I can explain that neither actually made it to Europe, or at least England, until 1650.

I can come up with Old World foods much easier than New World. I often have to hunt around to find 10 New World foods I can use.

So, I guess I can no longer use honey as it originated in both places. And unlike the beans, I can't have a jar or New World and Old World honey. One, I doubt I can buy the first and second, I bet you can't tell the difference by appearance between the two.

Some discussion of the New World/Old World food game and other people's versions of it, can be found in, I think, the demos-msg file in the Florilegium. I highly recommend it to those participating in demos.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksharris
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****