[Sca-cooks] watermelons

[Stefan li Rous]

Okay, this Florilegium file has a bit more about watermelons and our previous discussions about them. (Grrr. Got to get that search function working again)

fruit-melons-msg (36K) 10/ 8/08 Period melons. References. Recipes.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-FRUITS/fruit-melons-msg.html

Among the sources/comments is "Tacuinum Sanitatis in Medicina” that we’ve been discussing in a different thread.

<<< Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 14:58:34 -0500
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Melons.

Regarding the book referenced [previously] I just happened to have it handy. It 
is "The Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti"  Translated by Judith Spencer,
complete revised translation, Facts on File Publications NY, NY, /Bicester,
England copyright 1983 by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A.   English
translation 1984  Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A.   ISBN 0-8160-0138-3

This is a facsimile edition and translation of the 14th century Latin
manuscript known as the Tacuinum Sanitatis in Medicina.
Pages 34 and 35 depict three types of melons listed in the captions as
melon, watermelon and Watermelons from the east.  The first,  Melones
dulces, from the illustration and the test appears to be the elongated
ovidal alternating dark and light green stripped melons with red centers
that are one of the two related types of melons sold as water melons in the
States.

The second, Melones issipidi, appears to the second type of melon sold in
the States as water melons commonly referred to as cannon balls when I was a
child.  From the illustration they are round or roundish and about twice the
size of a mans head.  None were cut open in the illustration and the text
does not indicate the color of the flesh inside.  In the illustration they
are dark green with perhaps a hint of thin stripping.   The text repeats the
test for ripeness I heard as a child,  "Always choose really ripe
watermelons, which are recognizable by the sound obtained by tapping the
outside.

The third, Molones indi et palestini are slightly smaller in the
illustration than the second and are descriped in the text as being large,
sweet. and yellow.  The text suggests choosing large, very sweet watery
ones.  From the illustration they look a lot like cantalopes and it shows
someone sniffing one.

Incidentally it also shows something which they call pumpkins which are
elongated green squashes which have the shape of streached and slightly bent
pears but from the illustration are about the length of a man's arm. They
call it a Cucurbite.  It also shows dark purple aubergines (egeplant) which
they call Melongiana.

Daniel Raoul le Vascon du Navarre'
Shire of Sea March, Kingdom of Trimaris >>>

<<< The Domostroi translation contains a recipe for watermelon rind pickles,
so, assuming the word is translated correctly (given the rest of the
recipe, I suspect it is) this puts watermelons in Russia in that late
16th or early 17th C. >>>

So some folks in period were hard up enough to eat watermelon rind. :-) From north Africa to Russia. I assume they were growing closer to Russia, at that time at least. Long way to ship such a heavy fruit. Maybe that’s it. All that made it to Russia was the rind. :-)

Hey, I got this exotic fruit from far off Africa. Kinda bad now, but it cost so much, let’s see if the rind can be used for something… :-)

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