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

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com> wrote:
>From the Mappae Clavicula
>The candy recipes in translation are:
>
> 285. The recipe for sesame candy
> The 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.

Those really sound like some Arabic-language recipes i've read, especially the first two. I'll have to look in my cookbooks, but they sound almost exactly like my memory of them.

Urtatim
(that's oor-tah-TEEM!)