Home Page

Stefan's Florilegium

lavender-msg



This document is also available in: text or RTF formats.

lavender-msg - 1/29/08

 

Period use of lavender in food and elsewhere.

 

NOTE: See also the files: herbs-msg, spices-msg, seeds-msg, roses-art, cook-flowers-msg, gardens-msg, gardening-bib, p-agriculture-bib, p-herbals-msg,  Palladius-art.

 

************************************************************************

NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given by the individual authors.

 

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear at this time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                          Stefan at florilegium.org

************************************************************************

 

Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 09:06:19 +1000 (EST)

From: The Cheshire Cat <sianan  at geocities.com>

Subject: SC - Lavender

 

><< Any cautions on eating lavender?>>

 

Cooks hat *off*

Herbalist hat *on*

 

LAVENDER

 

Family:  labitae

Part Used:  Flowers

Constituents: volatile oils

Action:  aromatic, carminative, nervine

Helps to:  Improve the digestion, reduce flatulence and colic, ease nervous

tension

 

Historical Notes:

  Lavender has been prized for it's scent since Elizabethan times.  It is

native of the Mediterranean and was used by the Romans for scent and

medicine - it's use in the bath accounts for it's name, as lavare is the

Latin word for 'to wash'.  It was mentioned in the Bible as the much values

'Spikenard'.  Lavender was one of the herbs thought to give protection from

the plague in the Middle Ages, and there are many customs and folklore

rituals in which is figues.  It was taken to the New world by the pilgrims

in the xeventeenth century.

   As a medicine, lavender was thought to help against the bites of snakes

and mad dogs, and was taken to relieve pain and reduce stress and tension

problems.  Extrnally it was used as a lotion or poultice for painful

problems like headaches and toothaches. The oil was used on skin injuries

like burns and ulcers.

 

Lavender makes a good remedy for the digestion and an excellent one for

easing nervous tension.  The taste is not overly unpleasant once you get

used to it.  (I make an infusion of it for just this problem).

 

culpepper says:  'Lavender is of special use for pains in the head and

brain to do proceed of a cold cause, as the apoplexy, falling sickness, the

drowsy or sluggish malady, cramps, convulsions, palsies and often

faintings.  It strenghtens the stomach and freeth the liver and spleen from

obstructions, and provoketh woman's courses.'

 

  Here's the only warning.  Don't take Lavender in large quantities if you

are pregnant without the approval of a certified herbal practitioner.

 

Herbalist hat *off*

Cooks hat *on*

 

  Sorry about that, I know that herbalism doesn't quite belong on this

list, but I couldn't help it since I have had some bad experiences with

various herbs, I am a strong believer that people should have some idea of

what it is that they are putting into their bodies.  Non of my research

indicates that there is any particular type of lavender that should be

used.  I always use the plain spike lavender.

 

- -Sianan

**************************************************************************

Marina Denton

sianan  at geocities.com

 

 

Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 21:55:04 +0930

From: "David & Sue Carter" <sjcarter  at dove.net.au>

Subject: Re: SC - Lavender (long-ish)

 

Milady Sianan wrote, re Lavender's pedigree:

 

>Family:  labitae

>Part Used:  Flowers

>Constituents: volatile oils

>Action:  aromatic, carminative, nervine

>Helps to:  Improve the digestion, reduce flatulence and colic, ease nervous

>tension

 

But I have not seen anyone mention that there are several species of

Lavender, which differ in their fragrance, and in most cases in their

bitterness as well.

 

I own a useful little herb guide called Herbs For All Seasons, by Rosemary

Hemphill, Angus and Robertson 1972 and new Ed 1983 (ISBN 0 0207 14637 3), in

which she lists the cultivated varieties as:

 

French Lavender (Lavandula dentata)

English Lavender (L. vera, L. officinalis, L. spica)

Italian Lavender (L. stoechas)

 

All are said to originate in the mountainous regions bordering the Western

half of the Mediterranean and thrive on plenty of sun, dry conditions and

poor soil. This is why we can grow some truly awesome lavender bushes here

in Innilgard (Adelaide, South Australia).

Rosemary states that English lavender was not cultivated in England until

about 1568 (sadly she does not give her reference for this statement)

 

She says that French lavender is the hardiest and blooms all year, and that

lavender oil is made from both the flowers and the leaves.

English lavender is more highly scented and lavender oil is made from the

flowers only.  It is also favoured for dried lavender.

Italian lavender is not used for oil/perfume but as a fresh strewing herb,

especially in Spain and Portugal, and its flowers are used by the Arabs for

medicinal preparations.

 

She also gives a recipe for Conserve Of Lavender Flowers. Again she does

not quote the original, but says it is a variation on the conserve recipe in

The Queens Closet Opened, by W.M.  the Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria c1655.

It is thus:

 

10 stalks of English or French Lavender Flowers

4 tablespoons icing sugar

2 dessertspoons Rosewater

 

Rub the flowers off the stalks and chop finely.  This should make approx 1

tablespoon of chopped flower

Beat the icing sugar and the flowers together in a bowl, add the rose water

slowly to make a stiff paste.

Spread sparingly on the top of plain sweet biscuits, or over a plain cake

and let set.

 

I suspect that the preference for either French or English lavender for

cooking is because you only need the petals of the flowers to impart the

lavender flavour and so avoid bitter and woody flavours that the stems and

leaves would give.  Having tasted lavender shortbread and lavender ice (a

sort of gelati and in period if you are late, Italian or French) there were

very few visible lavender bits compared to the strong flavour (and lavender

oil had NOT been used because it should not be used).

 

I also suspect that of the English lavenders, L. officinalis is the herbal

lavender as opposed to the ornamental one.

 

Esla of Ifeld

 

 

Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 21:38:20 +0930

From: "David & Sue Carter" <sjcarter  at dove.net.au>

Subject: Re: SC - Lavender (long-ish)

 

Lord Ras quoted Mistress Christianna:

<< Gee, the variety that grows the best here in Atlanta, Ga. is

> called "Spanish Lavender" by the nursery, I wonder which one of the above

> that would be?  (I have long lost the tag that came with it...:( >>

 

And added:

>French Lavender has surrogated leaves.  English lavender for all practical

>purposes does not.

>

>Ras

 

I believe the word your spelling checker may be looking for is serrated :)

 

Perhaps the following descriptions may help to identify the Spanish

Lavender.

 

French lavender is a woody shrub that requires a hard prune every year to

keep its shape.  It has sticky, serrated leaves (dentata means teeth) and

flowers on short spikes.

 

English lavender has smooth silver grey foliage and the flowers are on long

spikes.  It can be cut back hard but doesnt require it to form a pleasing

shape.

 

Italian Lavender is smaller, but very bushy with soft grey, pointed leaves

and velvety flowers.  It is described as being commonly used in Spain and

Portugal as a favourite strewing herb on festive days in churches and homes.

 

If the description fits, Spanish lavender may be a form of Italian lavender

(L. stoechas) and therefore recommended for strewing and possibly drying,

but not the preferred variety for perfume or cooking.

 

Then again it might be something entirely different, assembled in a

horticulturalist's laboratory for its superior marketablity but not

necessarily any other useful trait.  (with reference to strawberries,

apples, and any number of other so called improved plants)

 

Hope to be of help..

 

Esla

 

 

Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 15:02:36 -0400

From: "Gaylin Walli" <g.walli  at infoengine.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Lavender

 

Esla wrote:

>Perhaps the following descriptions may help to identify the Spanish

>Lavender. [descriptions deleted]

 

According to the books I've got here on my desk at work (an online),

Spanish lavender's latin name is officially Lavandula stoechas,

which is also called French lavender in some stores and books.

 

If you have web access, here's an online pic from the Gardener's Library:

http://www.homearts.com/affil/gardb/plants/lavastoe.htm

 

Jasmine

Jasmine de Cordoba, Midrealm (Metro-Detroit area of Michigan)

jasmine  at infoengine.com or g.walli  at infoengine.com

 

 

Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 11:27:18 -0400

From: "Gaylin Walli" <g.walli  at infoengine.com>

Subject: SC - Re: Lavender varieties

 

Concerning lavender varieties, Lady Allison wrote:

>These are obviously different cultivars, but does anyone know whether

>USA growers are cultivating for color, flower size, perfume, drying

>qualities, etc?

 

I've looked this up out of curiosity and a desperate attempt to

avoid working on mundane work stuff. :) Here's what I've found.

Hope this helps people. It treads dangerously close to off topic

material, but at least might help the mundane grower pick varieties

for their herb garden when recreating cooking, herbal, and medical

botany type projects. Enjoy. -- Jasmine de Cordoba, jasmine  at infoengine.com

 

++++

 

The largest listing of cultivars of lavender that I know of online

is located at the San Marcos Growers website (a wholesale company

based in Santa Barbara, California). Their website URL is:

 

http://www.smgrowers.com/lav.htm

 

Only a small number of the species of lavender cultivated in the

world today are useful to the herbalist and the perfume industry [1]

however, many more varieties might be useful to the cook of medieval

food.

 

In a recent small survey of a botanist, fragrance researcher,

herb crafter, edible-flower chefs, plant growers, and herb gardeners

from all over the United States (including "the far north" and "the

deep south") the following varieties were the most popular for the

reasons listed [2] (note the x- varieties are lavandins, not true

lavenders):

 

Lavendula angustafolia 'Hidcote'        tradition, strong scent

L. angustafolia 'Munstead'              bluer flowers than most

L. x-intermedia 'Grosso"                strongest fragrance

                                        sweetness of essential oil

                                        abundance of flower spikes

L. x-intermedia 'Royal Velvet'          retains dark purple color dried

L. angustafolia 'Lady'                  prolific flowers throught summer

                                        short lifespan (2-3 years)

                                        ease of propagation

L. x-intermedia 'Provence'              hardiness in Zone 5 or worse

L. stoechas (Spanish L.)                size of plant mass

L. angustafolia 'Goodwin Creek Grey'    size of plant mass

L. angustafolia 'Formasike'             size of plant mass

 

Of the newest varieties being grown and developed in the trade for

cooking and perfumery, the following are the most popular [3,4,5]:

 

L. x-intermedia 'Super'                 Longest growth with

                                        best oil production and

                                        best drying strength. Most

                                        production in France and

                                        Tasmania.

L. angustafolia 'Betty's Blue'          Scent intensity at least as

                                        good as 'Hidcote' with better

                                        and longer bloom time.

 

Most of the lavender grown worldwide is used to produce essential oils,

with lavandin cultivars predominating because they yield greater quantities

of oil. However, L. angustifolia is also grown for essential oil

production, as selected forms give very high quality oil for use in

perfumery [6] and cosmetics.

 

References:

 

[1] Snowbound Herbals website

http://www.sbherbals.com/0797HotM.html

 

[2] The Herb Companion magazine, April/May 1998, pp. 21-25.

 

[3] Personal Communication, Bordine's Nursery, 9-12-98.

 

[4] Personal Communication, Jennifer Arris, garden plant specialist,

    9-12-98.

 

[5] Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) website

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/lavender.html

 

[6] Jenny McGimpsey: McGimpseyJ  at crop.cri.nz

Redbank Research Station, New Zealand

New Zealand Crop & Food Research Ltd. WebSite

http://www.crop.cri.nz/broadshe/Lavender.htm

 

 

[Submitted by: "Philippa Alderton" <phlip  at bright.net>]

----------

From: Gaylin Walli <g.walli  at infoengine.com>

To: herbalist  at Ansteorra.ORG

Subject: HERB - RECIPE: Lavender Cookies

Date: Thursday, November 05, 1998 12:01 PM

 

How about a food recipe for now? (I'm still trying to type in those

balm recipes and the sour tummy cordial recipe for everyone) I made

some of these last night. Yummy.

 

These were a big hit last year at Christmas. I've made them before for

folks and most people are suprised at how good they taste. It's not

something that most people are used to, though, so be prepared for

some "ugh!" reactions. Most people associate the smell/taste of

lavender with soap, not food. -- jasmine, jasmine  at infoengine.com

 

 

JASMINE'S LAVENDER COOKIES

 

(makes about 2.5-3.0 dozen)

 

Equipment:

 

   mixing bowls

   measuring cups and spoons

   mixing spoons or a good electric mixer

   a small bowl (a soup bowl will work well)

   a small kitchen ruler

   a kitchen timer

   at least 2 ungreased cookie sheets

   cookie racks (wax paper on your countertop doesn't work as well)

 

Ingredients for the cookies:

 

    1 cup stick unsalted butter, softened but not melted

       (Do not use margarine, whipped butter, or butter substitute.)

    1/2 cup white sugar or lavender sugar

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    2 cups all-purpose flour

    Lavender sugar (for rolling the cookies in)

 

Ingredients for lavender sugar:

 

    1 cup dried lavender blossoms

    1 cup white sugar

 

   Mix these together in a small bowl. You'll need to keep

   mixing these together as you use them because the lavender

   has a tendency to separate from the sugar and float to the

   top of the mix. If you make enough of this ahead of time

   you can sift out some of the flowers and use the leftover

   sugar in the cookies themselves (I keep some of this around

   at all times).

 

Preparation instructions (see optional preparation below):

    Cream together the butter and the sugar until it is light

and fluffy, a pale golden yellow color. To this mixture, add

the salt and the flour gradually, but without beating excessively

between additions. After the final addition of flour, mix

until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, being sure to

scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl. Chill this dough for

about 1 hour (sometimes a little less) until it is firm enough

to handle (not excessively sticky on your hands).

    Preheat your oven to 350F. Form the dough you chilled into

small balls, about 1-inch in diameter (measure them with a

kitchen ruler). Roll each ball in the lavender sugar and place

it on the ungreased cookie sheet. Press down the each ball with

your thumb, but don't press all the way through, just far enough

to flatten the cookie.

    Bake each sheet for roughly 12 to 15 minutes, until the

cookies are very lightly golden, not brown on the edges. Take

the cookies off the sheets as soon as they come out of the oven.

    Once cooled, store in an airtight tin or cookie jar.

 

Optional prepartion:

    Another way to prepare these cookies is to follow the

instructions for creaming everything together and chilling

the dough as instructed above. Try using the lavender sugar

that has the flowers filtered out in place of the plain

sugar in the cookies.

    Once everything is chilled well enough to handle, take a

long sheet of wide wax paper an place the dough at one end. Shape

the dough roughly as a  tube or rectangle and then use the wax

paper to roll the dough up into a log. Leave enough room on each

end of the log for a small amount of waxed paper to be twisted.

Close the ends of the log off from the air by twisting the extra

waxed paper in opposite directions (one clockwise, one counter-

clockwise).

    Place your dough log in the freezer for AT LEAST 3 hours.

You can freeze this log up to 6 months. When you're ready to

make your cookies, simply slice them off the log, place them

on the ungreased cookie sheet, sprinkle a little filtered lavender

sugar on top of them, and bake as indicated above.

 

Some preparation and baking hints:

    I've not gotten the hang of air-bake cookie sheets yet. I

find that when I use these non-stick sheets, I burn my cookies

because I keep thinking they aren't done. Keep in mind that the

lavender that sticks to the outside of the cookie should turn

brown, but that isn't an indicator of when the cookie is done.

    I've found that the first cookies I put in the oven cook

slower than the later cookies. Keep this in mind when you're

watching your cookies to see if they're done.

    While one sheet of cookies is baking, it's helpful to prepare

the second sheet to go immediately into the oven. This minimizes

the time the oven door is open and makes the baking go faster.

If you only use one cookie sheet, you should really wait for your

sheet to cool down some before you place the next batch of cookies

on it. Without doing so you not only run the risk of burning yourself,

but the cookies often are tougher and sometimes overbaked.

 

 

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 11:50:33 -0400

From: Jennifer Rushman <rushmaj  at basf-corp.com>

Subject: SC - RE: SC- lavender harvest

 

>   Yes, that was my second search after posting to the Cooks' List.  I will

>also be looking about  *how*  to extract the essential oils from the leaves

>. . . .maybe  . . . .or is that considered "distilling?" and gonna get me

>in trouble with the  "revenooers?"

 

     I can't give much insight into lavender specifically however my MS thesis

involved commercial mint production.  Lavender is also an essential oil plant in

which the oil is extracted from the flowers.  The flowers are gathered an then

immediately steam distilled. (See Simon, J.E., A.F. Chadwick and L.E. Craker.

1984. Herbs: An Indexed Bibliography. 1971-1980. The Scientific Literature on

Selected Herbs, and Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of the Temperate Zone. Archon

Books, 770 pp., Hamden, CT)

       I have never distilled lavender oil, however I have distilled peppermint

oil by the same process.  The process involves boiling the mint in a vessel

which is connected to a condenser.  As the mixture of crushed mint leaves and

water boils the vapor condeses and is collected in another container.  This

condensed liquid will contain water and essential oil, with the oil floating on

top.  Be careful as essential oils are often very strong and could burn your

skin or sinus passages.  The yield and quality of mint oil varies with cultivar,

growing conditions and post harvest handling, and could also be assumed for

lavender.  As an example 500 g of dried mint yielded 1-4 mL oil, or 40-90 pounds

of oil from an acre of harvested mint.  I couldn't find lavender yield info.

Hope this helps,

CH

- ---

Lady Clare Hele, Barony of Windmaster's Hill, Atlantia

Jennifer Rushman, RTP, NC

 

 

Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 21:18:07 EST

From: LrdRas  at aol.com

Subject: SC - Lavender

 

Guenevere_Nelson-Melby  at needham.k12.ma.us writes:

<< Does anyone know when the first documented use of lavender as an

ingredient occurred, >>

 

Al-Baghdadi (1235 CE) uses lavender as an ingredient in many dishes. There

may be earlier works of which this arrogant schmuck in unawares.

.

<<and as a side note, does anyone know of an affordable source for it? >>

 

The spice trader's mentioned regularly on this list (Francesco's, Spice World

and the Pepper's Guild) all carry lavender. Also any local whole foods store

should stock it or be able to order it.

 

Ras

 

 

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 02:48:49 +0200

From: Thomas Gloning <gloning  at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>

Subject: SC - lavender

 

<< ... that Lavender (lavandula spica) was noted in 1150 by Hildegard >>

 

"Lavendula ... homini   ad  comedendum  non valet". (L. vera; ch. 35)

lavender      for man  to  eat         not  is-healthy

 

The passage De spica/Lavendula spica (ch. 25) seems rather of medicinal

than of culinary value (lavender wine for medical purposes):

 

"CAP. XXV. — DE SPICA.

Spica calida et sicca, et calor ejus sanus est. Et qui spicam cum vino

coquit, vel, si vinum non habet, cum melle et aqua coquat, et ita

tepidum saepe bibat, et dolorem jecoris et pulmonis, et dumphedinem in

pectore ejus mitigat, et scientiam puram ac purum ingenium facit."

 

Are there other passages?

 

Best,

Thomas

 

 

Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 07:29:48 CEST

From: "Christina van Tets" <cjvt  at hotmail.com>

Subject: SC - lavender

 

There's a recipe in the Miscellany for a honey/lavender/pepper syrup - I

think (your Grace?  I imagine you know rather better than I) for pouring

over the dreaded exploding Dafair.  By the time I've finished wrestling with

the Dafair themselves (why the heck do they explode only when _I_ make

them?) I generally give up and use rosewater syrup instead, but I have done

the lavender thing once or twice.  OTOH, I've probably misremembered the

whole thing and it's supposed to go over something else anyway...

 

Cairistiona

 

 

Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 05:52:11 -0400 (EDT)

From: alysk  at ix.netcom.com

Subject: SC - Re: Period Recipes for Lavender

 

Greetings.  There are some recipes in the Anonymous 12th-(13th?)Century

Andalusian recipes that are in Cariadoc's cookbook collection.

 

Alys

 

 

Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 07:24:14 -0500 (CDT)

From: Jeff Heilveil <heilveil  at uiuc.edu>

Subject: SC - lavendar

 

In general any flower that you pick up from a florist is a REALLY bad idea

to use in cooking.  There are little to no regulations on pesticide use in

greenhouses if the food was not intended for consumption. This goes along

with the theory that you don't want florist roses for making rosewater

unless you know that they are organic, or that the grower uses biological

control agents and not chemical control agents.

 

Also, as for the use of lavendar in period there are a couple of recipes

in the Miscellany (as Ras posted, I believe they ARE from al-Bahgdi (SP)).

The recipe for a Counterfeit of Garbanzos (period Falafel), as well as the

original (for which I cannot currently remember the name, but is on page

32-34ish) which is made with lamb both use lavendar and the recipes are

not quite as good IMHO without said lavendar.  

 

Bogdan _______________________________________________________________________________

Jeffrey Heilveil M.S.            Ld. Bogdan de la Brasov, C.W.

Department of Entomology    A Bear's paw and base vert on field argent

University of Illinois                   

 

 

Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 10:47:52 EDT

From: "Catherine Hartley" <caitlin_ennis  at hotmail.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Period recipes for lavender?

 

The following is a recipe that I made for Meridies Crown List (for high

Table)... it never got served as we had so much food, and it was

forgotten...but it tastes wonderful.

 

I would expect that Lavender is a nice flavor in any subtly flavored dish.

 

Caitlin of Enniskillen

 

Source:

  Libro della cucina del secolo XIV/ The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from

  France and Italy,  by Odile Redon et al.

 

Primary Source:

Togli buono vino con un poco d'aceto, e, sciumato che sia quando bolle,

meetivi, dentro il pesceie, e cotto, cavalne, e fa bullire il vino tanto,

che torni a la terza parte: poi mettivi dentro zaffarano e altre spezie, con

alloro: poi colato il vino, mettivi spico, e lassa che sia freddo; poi

metti, sopra'l pesce, nel catino.

 

Translation: Take good wine and a little vinegar, and when it has been

skimmed upon boiling, put in the fish, and when they are cooked, remove

them, and boil the wine so that it reduces to one third; then add saffron

and other spices, with bay leaves;then when the wine has been strained, add

lavender and leave to cool; then put it over the fish in a dish.

 

 

Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 11:04:04 -0400

From: "Gaylin Walli" <gwalli  at infoengine.com>

Subject: SC - lavender

 

<snip>

 

Incidently, a nice recipe of poached pears in

grape sauce (Platina) would be excellent served with

lavender flowers. Tie a bunch together and hang

them in the pot when you're reducing the sauce

for the pears. Discard the blossoms when done

and then garnish with more fresh blossoms. The

purples would contrast nicely. A sprig of mint

in the center and *poof*, Bob's your uncle.

 

Jasmine

iasmin de cordoba

 

 

Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 00:13:36 +0200

From: Thomas Gloning <gloning  at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>

Subject: SC - Period recipes for lavender?

 

Here are some further candidates for lavender (and/or spicanardi):

 

Enseignements (ed. Lozinski; ca. 1300)

  134 Se vos volez fere comminee de pesson

      ("... puis prenez canele e espic e girofle ...")

  157 Se vos volez fere gelee de pesson

      ("... poivre lonc, garingal, espic e un poi de safren..."

 

Viandier  (ed. Scully; 14th/15th cent.)

  68  VAT Gelee de poisson

  170 VAT Espices qu'il fault a ce present Viandier

  24  MAZ Soutil brouet d'Angleterre

 

Menagier (ed. Brereton/Ferrier; ca. 1393)

  251.10 Pour faire .iiii. platz de gellee de char

         ("... espic ..."

  270.31 Pour une quarte ou quarteron d'ypocras ...

         ("... espicnardi ..."

 

Recueil de Riom (ed. Lambert; ca. 1466)

  Nr. 9  Une gelee de cher de poulailhe, lappereaux, et de cochons

         ("... giroffle, maxis, et espic, et garingal, ...")

 

Martino  (ed. Faccioli; 15th cent.)

  p. 130 Per fare dui piattelli di gelatina

         (" ... et meza quarta di spiconardo ...")

         See Platina VI.24 (transl. _spikenard_)

         The German Platina 1542: "... Spicanarden ..."

 

Meister Eberhard (ed. Feyl; 15th cent.)

  R109   Oleum nardicum

         ("... Man nymbt spicanardi gancz vnd seudt ...")

 

Ein sehr Künstliches vnd fürtrefflichs Kochbuch 1560

  B5b   Wie man Rephu:ener sol kochen

        ("Auch mag man wol Rosenwasser oder Lauendelwasser daran thun")

  B6a   Ein pru:ee vber Hu:enner

        ("nim Spickwasser oder Rosenwasser"; _Spick_ 'Lavender')

  E7a   Sugar with roses/sugar with lavender

        "Ein Rosen zucker ein zu machen/ oder andern Zucker. NJm zu

         eim lot Rosen/ drey lot zuckers/ Aber zu Lauendel vier lot/

         zu eim lot Plu:emblein auch so vil" (Nr. 80).

 

Sabina Welser (ed. Stopp; ca. 1553)

  106   Ain kreitertortten z? machen

        ("... vnnd ain wenig lafendel ...")

 

There is another German cookbook from 1609 with several lavender

recipes; Wiswe mentions 15th century recipes for beer with lavender.

_Espic_ is also listed in a 14th century French document on spices,

mentioned in one of Pichon's footnotes to the Menagier.

 

Sorry that I did not key in and translate all these recipes... am a bit

under pressure with other stuff.

 

Thomas

 

 

To: sca-cooks  at ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: lavender sugar

From: "Christina L Biles" <bilescl  at okstate.edu>

Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 13:25:06 -0600

 

>>>Which parts of the plant do you use to infuse the sugar? I have a

burgeoning plot in my front yard...

Devra the Baker <<

 

I take fresh or dried lavender blossoms, bury them sugar, and shake the

jar from time to time.  For a presentation type gift, I would use whole

stems, but typically I use a handful of dried blossoms.

 

While you are looking at cooking applications, consider strawberry

lavender jam or lavender jelly.

 

-Magdalena d.C.

 

 

Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 16:35:09 -0800 (PST)

From: Samrah <auntie_samrah at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] culinary lavender

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Michael Acord <mpacord at earthlink.net> wrote:

>>>

I have come across a number of recipes calling for dried lavender

flowers, but have not yet tried any of them. I have tried to determine

which of the many varieties of lavender to use (French, English,

Spanish, sweet, etc.), but am uncertain as to which is best. Any

suggestions? TYIA.

Mike Acord

<<<

 

Usually we are talking English Lavender, but I believe French would

work.  I have never tried using Spanish.  If we are talking period

cooking, if memory serves Spanish may be OOP.  The main thing is to

make sure it has been raised properly, without toxic type chemicals.  

Dried lavender is available is available in cellophane packages in the

botanical/teas section of Mexican markets.  Usually when using lavender

one only uses the flower portion of the plant, so sweet would not seem

to be of particular value to me, but if it is what you have growing in

your garden....

 

Samrah

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
All other copyrights are property of the original article and message authors.

Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org