[Sca-cooks] Gum Tragacanth

[Terry Decker]

While wandering through The Science of Cooking, I came across this footnote 
from the recipe for marzipan.

"388 Tragacanth, modernly called Gum Tragacanth, is a resin from the Arabic 
part of the world used as an edible binding agent, also used in painting. It 
apparently entered European writings in 1558, which sets an early boundary 
for the date of the original manuscript."

The earliest reference to tragacanth in European writing is found in 
Theophrastus (3rd Century BCE) commenting on the on the quality of the plant 
in Crete and Achaea.  The Greek word in the text is "tragakantha" meaning 
"goat thorn."   Dioscorides (1st Century BCE) in De Materia Medica describes 
the medical uses of tragacanth.  Materia Medica was in use through the 
entire Medieval period.  The 1558 date appears to date the use of the word 
in English referencing a recipe for fondant in an English translation of 
"The Secrets of Alexis of Piedmont" (Alessio's Secreti, Venice, 1555).  It 
may also reference an entry in the "(Tudor) Book of Rates" for "Gum 
dragagant."

Trying to set an early boundary for the manuscript based on tragacanth 
appearing in the manuscript would likely be an error.

Bear