Spice

Well Known		Eventually Known
Anise Balm Bay Borage Capers Caraway Cardamom Carob Cassia Chervil Chives Cinnamon Cloves Coriander Cubeb Cumin Fennel Fenugreek Galangal Garlic Ginger Grains of Paradise	Horseradish Lovage Juniper Berries Liquorice Mastic Mint Mustard Myrtle Nigella Nutmeg/Mace Parsley Pepper Rosemary Rue Sage Saffron Salad Burnet Savory Tansy Turmeric Woodruff Yarrow	Allspice/Pimento arrived in the old world after Columbus' explorations Basil didn't get through Europe until after 1500 Dill didn't get popular until 1600 Vanilla arrived in the old world after Columbus' explorations Peppers Were adapted into Spanish cooking after 1500 and more or less remained there. Coffee Cultivated and used to the East somewhat unknown to Europe Mahlab Known only to the Greeks and Middle East Oregano/Marjoram Known only to the Mediterranean

Sources

Dickson, Margaret (1971) Travels in Time: Eating and Drinking Banks and Co, Edinburgh, ISBN 0 71587 0896 1 (for children only)
Dickie, John (2007) Delizia! The epic history of Italians and their food Hodder & Stoughton, London ISBN 978 0 340 89641 9
Norman, Jill (1990) The Complete Book of Spices RD Press, Sydney, ISBN 0 86438
Rogers, Jo (1990) What Food Is That? Weldon Books, Sydney, ISBN 1 86302 091 8
Soyer, Alexis, (1977) The Pantropheon or A history of food and its preparation in ancient times Paddington Press, London, ISBN 0 448 22976 5
Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne (trans Anthea Bell), History of Food, ISBN 0-631-19497-5
Usherwood, Stephen (1972) Food, Drink and History David & Charles, Newton Abbot, ISBN 0 7153 5657
Watson, A. M. (1983) Agricultural Innovation in the Early Islamic World: The diffusion of crops and farming techniques 700-1100 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Vegetables of the Known World

Known	Unknown
Asparagus Aubergine Broad Beans Beets (roots and leaves) Borage Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cucumber (Mediterranean) Endive Fennel Haricot Beans Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Lentils Lettuce Okra Onion Parsnip Peas (dried) Radish Shallots Silverbeet Sorrel Spinach Tamarind Turnips Winter melon/Ash Gourd	Corn Green Beans Potato  (Considered animal fodder until war-time food shortages of 1795) Wax Beans Watercress Zucchini

Those that need special consideration

• Bean Sprouts Used only in Asian cooking during SCA period 
• Cauliflower Known only to the Mediterranean
• Celery/Smallage Used only as a medicinal ingredient during SCA period
• Pepper Came to spain with Columbus and were used in spanish cooking during the 1500's
• Pumpkin Also called Pominions were brought back from the new world and grown in Europe after 1500
• Squash Same as the pumpkin
• Sweet/Garden Peas The green peas we eat today were bred somewhere around 1550, while sugar snap and snow peas were much later and out of SCA period.
• Sweet Potato A new world item that was on the tables by 1526 but wasn't overly favoured
• Tomatoes Were always yellow popular in Spain and Italy after 1500 but never eaten in England

Sources

Dickson, Margaret (1971) Travels in Time: Eating and Drinking Banks and Co, Edinburgh, ISBN 0 71587 0896 1 (for children only)
Dickie, John (2007) Delizia! The epic history of Italians and their food Hodder & Stoughton, London ISBN 978 0 340 89641 9
Norman, Jill (1990) The Complete Book of Spices RD Press, Sydney, ISBN 0 86438
Rogers, Jo (1990) What Food Is That? Weldon Books, Sydney, ISBN 1 86302 091 8
Soyer, Alexis, (1977) The Pantropheon or A history of food and its preparation in ancient times Paddington Press, London, ISBN 0 448 22976 5
Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne (trans Anthea Bell), History of Food, ISBN 0-631-19497-5
Usherwood, Stephen (1972) Food, Drink and History David & Charles, Newton Abbot, ISBN 0 7153 5657
Watson, A. M. (1983) Agricultural Innovation in the Early Islamic World: The diffusion of crops and farming techniques 700-1100 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Grains of the Known World

Known	Unknown
Barley Buckwheat Millet Oats Rice Rye Wheat	Amaranth Corn/Maize Quinoa Triticale

Those that need special consideration

• Sorghum Native to Africa may have been used as animal feed but not recorded as being consumed by people
• Ground Almonds used as a flour for cakes and breads
• Peas referring to a dried legume sometimes ground to a flour to be used in the making of breads 

Sources

Dickson, Margaret (1971) Travels in Time: Eating and Drinking Banks and Co, Edinburgh, ISBN 0 71587 0896 1 (for children only)
Dickie, John (2007) Delizia! The epic history of Italians and their food Hodder & Stoughton, London ISBN 978 0 340 89641 9
Norman, Jill (1990) The Complete Book of Spices RD Press, Sydney, ISBN 0 86438
Rogers, Jo (1990) What Food Is That? Weldon Books, Sydney, ISBN 1 86302 091 8
Soyer, Alexis, (1977) The Pantropheon or A history of food and its preparation in ancient times Paddington Press, London, ISBN 0 448 22976 5
Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne (trans Anthea Bell), History of Food, ISBN 0-631-19497-5
Usherwood, Stephen (1972) Food, Drink and History David & Charles, Newton Abbot, ISBN 0 7153 5657
Watson, A. M. (1983) Agricultural Innovation in the Early Islamic World: The diffusion of crops and farming techniques 700-1100 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Fruits of the Known World

Known	Unknown
Apple Apricot Banana Bilberry Blackberry (Northern Europe) Cherry Currant Date Fig Gooseberry Honeydew Melon Lemon Orange Pear Plum Pomelo Pomegranate Quince Raspberry	Acai (South America) Avocado  (South America) Blueberry (North America) Boysenberry Cape Gooseberry Carambola Cranberry Custard Apple Cumquat Grapefruit Guava Kiwi Fruit Loganberry Loquat Lychees Mandarins Mango Passionfruit Rhubarb

Those that need special consideration

• Limes Only known in the Mediterranean during period
• Mulberry Known to Persia did not arrive in Europe until after 1500
• Nectarines Persion did not arrive in Europe until sometime after 1500
• Orange Earlier periods would have only seen the bitter seville type orange later periods sweeter varieties were available
• Persimmons Once again a Persian treat known mostly to the East
• Pineapple A new world native was cultivated in Spain in the 15th century but didn't hit the tables of Europe until the middle of the 16th century
• Rockmelon/Watermelon Only known to the far east during SCA period
• Strawberries In period these little gems were tiny much like the tiny wild strawberries that we have today 
• Tomatoes Were always yellow popular in Spain and Italy after 1500 but never eaten in England

Sources

Dickson, Margaret (1971) Travels in Time: Eating and Drinking Banks and Co, Edinburgh, ISBN 0 71587 0896 1 (for children only)
Dickie, John (2007) Delizia! The epic history of Italians and their food Hodder & Stoughton, London ISBN 978 0 340 89641 9
Norman, Jill (1990) The Complete Book of Spices RD Press, Sydney, ISBN 0 86438
Rogers, Jo (1990) What Food Is That? Weldon Books, Sydney, ISBN 1 86302 091 8
Soyer, Alexis, (1977) The Pantropheon or A history of food and its preparation in ancient times Paddington Press, London, ISBN 0 448 22976 5
Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne (trans Anthea Bell), History of Food, ISBN 0-631-19497-5
Usherwood, Stephen (1972) Food, Drink and History David & Charles, Newton Abbot, ISBN 0 7153 5657
Watson, A. M. (1983) Agricultural Innovation in the Early Islamic World: The diffusion of crops and farming techniques 700-1100 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Nuts and Seeds

Known	Unknown
Almonds Caraway Fennel Seeds filberts/hazelnuts Pine Nuts pistachios Poppy Seeds walnuts - English Water Chestnuts	Brazil Nuts (South America) Butternut/White Walnut (North America) Coconut Hickory Nuts (North America) Macadamia (Australia) Peanuts (South America) Walnuts - black (North America)

Those that need special consideration

• Cashew Native to South America, but Portugal, Spain, and Italy  started cultivating it in last half of the 16th century

Sources

Dickson, Margaret (1971) Travels in Time: Eating and Drinking Banks and Co, Edinburgh, ISBN 0 71587 0896 1 (for children only)
Dickie, John (2007) Delizia! The epic history of Italians and their food Hodder & Stoughton, London ISBN 978 0 340 89641 9
Norman, Jill (1990) The Complete Book of Spices RD Press, Sydney, ISBN 0 86438
Rogers, Jo (1990) What Food Is That? Weldon Books, Sydney, ISBN 1 86302 091 8
Soyer, Alexis, (1977) The Pantropheon or A history of food and its preparation in ancient times Paddington Press, London, ISBN 0 448 22976 5
Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne (trans Anthea Bell), History of Food, ISBN 0-631-19497-5
Usherwood, Stephen (1972) Food, Drink and History David & Charles, Newton Abbot, ISBN 0 7153 5657
Watson, A. M. (1983) Agricultural Innovation in the Early Islamic World: The diffusion of crops and farming techniques 700-1100 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Of Sleeves and Gussets...

Bocksten Tunic 14th Century,
Vaburg Museum

When fitting a tightly buttoned sleeve to ones arm it is necessary to construct a sleeve with an S-Curve and seam running down the back of the arm I have no intent on going through the details of that here when there is a lovely demo from La Cotte Simple. My concern has to do with the other sleeve that is plain. Pictured here is an extant garment from sometime in the middle ages. Carbon dating really can't help us here other than to confirm it's from somewhere in the medieval period so we have to look a little closer. If you really want to read up on the great debate about dating this bad boy you are but a google search away.

The Sleeveless Kirtle

Birth of St. John Baptist
Turin-Milano prayer book

Summer gets hot, and it's no secret that I can't take the heat. My solution is a little walk to the 15th century where sleeveless kirtles appear in a few works of art.

The Idea:
A sleeveless kirtle and short sleeve chemise that will be cooler to wear in the warmer temperatures.

The Materials:
Linen lots and lots of linen, red linen for the kirtle white hanky weight linen for the chemise.