[Sca-cooks] Very early sugar candy recipes- 12th century

[Alec Story]

If it's of interest I have a few 6th century recipes for malt sugar from
China.

On Feb 24, 2017 7:49 PM, "James Chevallier" <jimcheval at aol.com> wrote:

> Those :with a particular interest in sugar might want to look at Andy
> Smith's "Global History" of the subject:
>
>
>
> Sugar: A Global History
> By Andrew F. Smith
>
>
> https://books.google.com/books?id=thV4BgAAQBAJ&pg=PT7&
> dq=inauthor:smith+intitle:sugar&hl=en&sa=X&ved=
> 0ahUKEwitqIz2gqrSAhVmiFQKHdhQCFwQ6AEIHjAB#v=onepage&q=Arab&f=false
>
>
> Jim Chevallier
> www.chezjim.com
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
> To: SCA_Subtleties at yahoogroups.com E-List <SCA_Subtleties at yahoogroups.com>;
> Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Sent: Fri, Feb 24, 2017 4:23 pm
> Subject: [Sca-cooks] Very early sugar candy recipes- 12th century
>
> Hi AllI have been doing some research into early sugar and candy recipes
> and in the course of that research I came across mention of the Mappae
> Clavicula manuscripts. Being the librarian that I am, I started hunting for
> information and eventually found an English translation.Mappae Clavicula: A
> Little Key to the World of Medieval Techniques Author(s): Cyril Stanley
> Smith and John G. Hawthorne Source: Transactions of the American
> Philosophical Society, Vol. 64, No. 4 (1974), pp. 1-128 Published by:
> American Philosophical Society Available through Jstor.  Accessed:
> 29-01-2017 00:48 UTC On page  4, the authors note “This is the Mappae
> Clavicula. Of this there exist a fragment from the early ninth century, an
> extended manuscript of the tenth century, and the most complete one dating
> from the twelfth century, which we translate here.” On page 19: “The
> compiler of the Mappae Clavicula incorporated all this: in addition he
> included some freshly translated accounts of Arabic alloys, north European
> runes, ancient Greek pneumatic toys, and a number of other recipes from
> various places on pigments and dyes, alcohol, sugar candy, coffer-dam
> construction, and incendiary mixtures.”So while most of the manuscript
> concerns pigments, processes, alchemy, et cetera, there are then these
> three noted candy recipes. The candy recipes in translation are: 285. The
> recipe for sesame candyThe recipe for sesame candy. Put white pure honey
> near a moderate fire in a tinned [pan] and stir it unceasingly with a
> spatula. Place it alternately near the fire and away from the fire, and
> while it is being stirred more extensively, repeatedly put it near and away
> from the fire, stirring it without interruption until it becomes thick and
> viscous. When it is sufficiently thickened, pour it out on a [slab of]
> marble and let it cool for a little. Afterwards, hang it on an iron bolt
> and pull it out very thinly and fold it back, doing this frequently until
> it turns white as it should. Then twist and shape on the marble, gather it
> up and serve it properly.  286. Sugar candy Now by a similar cooking
> process [put] some sugar soaked in a little water in a tinned [pan] and
> defroth it when it boils and strain it well in a colander. In this way,
> after adding in the ingredients that you know, stir it unceasingly until it
> reaches [the correct] consistency. Pour it out in separate pieces on a
> marble [slab] that has been lightly oiled. Carefully cool the pieces on the
> marble, separate them from it by hand and keep them properly.[footnote
> 195]  287. Penidias candy Now penidias candy [is made] like sesame candy
> after the sugar has been defrothed and strained, but without stirring it.
> When it has been fully cooked, work it on the bolt as described above, then
> shape it by cutting with shears. [Footnote 195] On the history of sugar,
> see M. F. Deerr (1949). Although sugar was known in classical antiquity it
> was not much used in Europe until the twelfth century, after Arabic
> influence. [This source would be: DEERR, N. F. 1949-1950. The History of
> Sugar (2 v., London).]I’ve posted this to my blog and the account can be
> found there as well as here.http://commonplaceboke.blogspot.com/2017/02/
> subtleties-early-sugar-recipes-from.html <http://commonplaceboke.
> blogspot.com/2017/02/subtleties-early-sugar-recipes-from.html>Additional
> information about the Mappae Clavicula may be found here:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mappae_clavicula <https://en.wikipedia.org/
> wiki/Mappae_clavicula>http://www.cmog.org/library/
> manuscript-mappae-clavicula <http://www.cmog.org/library/
> manuscript-mappae-clavicula>http://letteraturaartistica.
> blogspot.com/2015/10/mappae-clavicula-origins-of-alchemy-in.html <
> http://letteraturaartistica.blogspot.com/2015/10/mappae-
> clavicula-origins-of-alchemy-in.html>Johnnae
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