Rediscovering Apple Confection: A Historical Confection found in Anonimo Veneziano

As promised, this is the recipe and research for the picture above.  This item was created for Pennsic 50 A&S Warpoint Team. I was chosen as an alternate, to step in if someone who was competing for points was unable to attend.  

Original Recipe In Italian - Confetti de melle apio o de pome paradiso se le voy fare subito chomo è gratate le poy fare come ti pare.

 Toy la mella e mondala, poy la grata; varda che non vada le granelle dentro la gratitura e lassala sugare per dui iorni. El sucho che fa la mella lassalo pur con la mella; passa le pome gratate e per ogni tri libre de pome meti libre tri de mele e lassale stare dui zorni le pome chomo el mele; poy fale bolire sempre menandole con speçie tanto che le mele sia cocte, abi a mente le spezie voleno essere messe quando l' è quasi cocto el confetto, cossí quelle de chodogni. Poy la distendi suso una tavola o suso una pietra bagnata e fay a modo di foio grosso men de mezzo dido; poy lassala refredare e fane a modo de schachieri in pezetti picholi e reponile in una schatolla con foie de laurano de sotto e poy de sopra dall' altra mano va metando foie de suolo in suolo; e se voi mettere spezie tra foio e foio serà molto bono. Agi a mente ch' el vol per lo men bolire una hora grossa e forsi dui sempre menandole bene e guardale dal fumo.

Original transcription from Libro di cucina/ libro per cuoco (Anonimo veneziano) — Institut für Germanistik (uni-giessen.de)

CXXXII Candied "apio" and paradise apples that are ready immediately, and grated they can be made as you like.

Take apples and peel them, then grate them, watch that there aren’t seeds inside the grated apples, and let them dry for two days. The juice that comes from the apples leave with them, and strain the grated apples, and for every three pounds of apples add three pounds of honey and let the apples sit in the honey for two days. Then put them to boil, always mixing carefully until the honey is cooked. Have in mind that the spices should be added when the candy is nearly cooked and candied, such as for quinces. Then spread the candy over a table or over a wet stone. Make them in the way of a large sheet, less than a half a finger high. Leave them to cool and make rolls of small pieces of the candy and put them to rest on a dish lined with bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.) below and then above and build them up layer by layer. And if you want to add spices between each layer it will be very good. Bear in mind that it will need to boil for at least an hour and perhaps for two, always mixing well and protected from smoke.

Candied "Apio" and Paradise Apples

 Ingredients:

 1 ½ pounds of apples (preferably Granny Smith), cleaned, peeled, and cored

2 ¼ cups of honey

1 tablespoon of fine spice mix[1]

Fresh bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.) (for serving)

Directions

 

1.  Grate the peeled apples using a box grater or mandolin. Place the grated apples into a sieve suspended above a bowl to collect the juices.

2.  Cover the grated apples and allow them to sit for two days, stirring occasionally to promote air drying.

3.  On the third day, weigh the strained apples and add 12 ounces (approximately 1 cup) of honey for every pound of grated apple. Stir well and let the mixture sit for two more days, stirring daily.  (Note: Modern appliances can blend the mixture into a smooth puree if desired, otherwise the consistency of the finished product will appear “rough”.)

4.  Transfer the apple and honey mixture into a saucepan and heat it on low until the honey warms. Then increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. (Note: Alternatively, cook the mixture in a crockpot on low heat for at least ten hours.)

5.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring constantly. The paste will gradually darken in color and start pulling away from the pan's sides.

6.  Add the spice mix to the apple paste when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cook until a spoon drawn through the paste leaves a trough without disappearing. This process may take an hour or more.

7.  Transfer the fruit paste to the lined cookie sheet or baking dish and allow it to cool.

8.  Once cooled, cut the paste into squares, and serve on fresh bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.) (do not consume the leaves). For added flavor, sprinkle the paste with additional spices before serving.

[1]  To make fine spices mix grind 2 tbsp. peppercorns to a fine powder, add to 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon and ground ginger.  ¾ tsp cloves and 1 ½ tsp saffron.

Introduction

 The Il Libro per cuoco o Anonimo Veneziano, also known as The cook's book or Anonymous Venetian, is valuable fifteenth-century Italian manuscript housed in the Casanatense Library in Rome. It contains 135 recipes that document the cooking methods, ingredients, and preferences of early Italy. The manuscript includes a recipe called "CXXXII. Confetti de melle apio o de pome paradiso se le voy fare subito chomo è gratate le poy fare come ti pare," which translates to "132. Candied 'apio' and paradise apples that are ready immediately and grated can be made as you like." This research aims to revive an ancient confectionery method and shed light on the early history of candy making, focusing on fruit pastes.  

The historical background of confections reveals their ancient origins and evolution. The ancient Egyptians preserved nuts and fruits with honey, while physicians in the Middle Ages used sweet confections to mask the taste of medicines. Sugar, introduced from India, Persia, and the Middle East, gradually replaced honey as a sweetener. The concept of sugar as medicine emerged from the Hippocratic theory of balancing bodily humors. According to Greek dietetics, the stomach's heat and digestion played a crucial role in maintaining health. Sugar and honey were believed to warm the stomach and aid digestion, leading to their prominence in sweet dishes served at the end of meals.

The recipe for "CXXXII. Confetti de melle apio o de pome paradiso se le voy fare subito chomo è gratate le poy fare come ti pare" holds several significant aspects. It documents the creation of a fruit paste that is served immediately upon completion, rather than drying it first. It also uses honey as the primary sweetener, reflecting an earlier period when sugar was not as prevalent. Additionally, the recipe showcases the richness of the ingredients, indicating the wealth of the person serving it. The instructions even include directions on how to present the dessert. By exploring this specific recipe, the project aims to revive a forgotten confectionary technique and deepen our understanding of the early history of candy making, particularly fruit pastes.

Examining the Ingredients

 The recipe for Apio features the following ingredients: honey, apples, apple juice, and various spices. Honey is the primary sweetener, adding a natural and rich sweetness. Apples, specifically the "Paradise Apple," form the base of the fruit paste once grated and mixed with honey. Spices enhance the flavor profile, providing depth and complexity to the Apio. The spices are not specified. They are added at the end of the cooking process, however, to infuse their aromatic essence with the apples and honey. The Apio is presented on bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.), adding a visual touch of elegance, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the dish.

What kind of apples were available? Of the many varieties that were grown during this time, two stand out.  The pearmaine and the paradise, which is mentioned in the recipe. The Pearmaine apple, dating back to around 1200 in England, is described as small to medium-sized. It exhibits yellowish-green skin with streaks of red. It possesses a conical shape reminiscent of a pear, albeit wider at the stem and tapering towards the bottom. A related variety is the Queening apple, also known as Winter Pearmaine, is available today. These apples are known for their sweet, slightly tart, and tangy flavor with subtle notes of pear. A paradise apple, also called an "apium apple" or "apius apple," denotes the common apple variety. According to the Minnesota Seasons website, these apples are fleshy and exhibit a globe-shaped to somewhat egg-shaped pome, ranging from 2⅜″ to 4⅓″ in diameter. Initially green, they gradually turn yellow to red as they ripen in the mid-to-late summer. Paradise apples are commonly used as rootstock and possess an astringent or mildly acidic taste.

Considering the known apple varieties, the most favorable options for recreating this recipe are Pearmaine or Paradise apples. Obtaining these specific apples, however, proves challenging in the everyday marketplace. Nevertheless, there are modern apple varieties that can serve as substitutes. Apples such as Suncrisp, Gala, Ambrosia, Jazz, Fuji, Envy, and Winesap, known for their sweetness, slight tartness, and pear-like notes, can be suitable substitutes for Pearmaine. Additionally, with their acidic and sharp taste, Granny Smith apples can serve as a viable substitute for the Paradise apple.

In addition to sweetness, honey serves several other purposes in preparing Apio. Firstly, honey acts as a natural binder or thickener, melding the grated apples together and creating a cohesive texture for the fruit paste. Secondly, honey acts as a preservative due to its antimicrobial properties. It helps inhibit the growth of microorganisms, extending the shelf life of the Apio and enabling storage before consumption. Lastly, honey flavor directly complements the apples' natural sweetness and enhances the spices used, helping to create a balance of flavors.

The Richness of Spices

 The Apio recipe uses the term "spices" generically as one of its ingredients. I sourced the spices for this recreation from another fourteenth-fifteenth century Italian manuscript called Liber de Coquina or Libro di cucina. Like the Anonimo Veneziano, this manuscript sheds light on medieval Italian cuisine and culinary practices. The Liber de Coquina includes recipes for various dishes, from soups and sauces to meat, fish, and desserts. It guides cooking techniques, ingredient combinations, and the utilization of spices and herbs. The specific recipe chosen belongs to the category known as LXXIII. Specie fine a tute cosse or "Fine spices for all dishes (things)."

 

Original Recipe Specie fine a tute cosse in Italian

 LXXIII. Specie fine a tute cosse.

Toi una onza de pevere e una de cinamo e una de zenzevro e mezo quarto de garofali e uno quarto de zaferanno.

 Translation

LXXIII Fine spices for all dishes (things)

Take one ounce of pepper, one ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of ginger, half a quarter ounce of cloves, and one quarter ounce of saffron.

Pepper found its way into Italy during the first century BC. The Romans, renowned for their expansive trade networks, established connections with various regions, including India and other parts of Asia, where pepper thrived. Pliny the Elder describes black, long, and white pepper in his Natural History. He emphasizes the significance of these spices, stating, "Both pepper and ginger grow wild in their respective countries, and yet here we buy them by weight—just as if they were so much gold or silver." Pepper quickly became a vital ingredient in Roman cuisine and remained widely utilized throughout the empire.

Saffron also entered Italy early, thanks to the ancient Greeks. They actively cultivated and traded this valuable spice, sourcing it from regions such as Persia (modern-day Iran) and Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). The remaining spices mentioned in the recipe, however—cinnamon, clove, and ginger—arrived in Italy later. By the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Italy had grown into the Mediterranean world’s key center of trade and commerce. Venice became a crucial bridge connecting Northern and Western Europe with the Middle East and the Far East, granting access to diverse spices originating from these distant lands.

Comparison of Period and Modern-Day Equipment Used in the Preparation of Candied Apio

 The Apio recipe involves the use of several essential pieces of equipment familiar to the modern cook: grater, colander, pot or saucepan, table.

The original invention of the grater is a subject of debate. However, historians credit Isaac Hunt or François Boullier with inventing it around 1540. Bartolomeo Scappi's cookbook, Opera dell'arte del cucinare, published in 1570, illustrates a grater resembling its modern-day counterpart. In Apio, apples are grated and allowed to air dry for two days before cooking. Grating the apples breaks them into smaller pieces and helps release the juices.

After being air dried for two days, the grated apples are passed through a sieve or strainer, separating the excess liquid from the fruit. This step, passa le pome gratate (sieve the grated apples), allows for accurate measurement of the weight of the apples. The cook adds an equal weight of honey and lets the apples soak for two more days before proceeding to the next step. Scappi's Opera also features an illustration of a sieve, providing insight into its potential appearance during the time. 

The recipe instructs the cook to take the next step of "poy fale bolire" or allowing it to boil. To accomplish this, the cook should use an appropriate cooking vessel, such as a pot or saucepan. Although the recipe does not specify the type of vessel, Scappi includes numerous illustrations depicting the saucepans and pots commonly used during this period. The equipment has remained unchanged in design with the exception of variations in the materials from which it is crafted. 

The final sentence of the recipe, "Agi a mente ch' el vol per lo men bolire una hora grossa e forsi dui sempre menandole bene e guardale dal fumo." (Keep in mind that it should boil for at least an hour, constantly stirring well and protecting it from smoke.), suggests the need for slow boiling of the fruit. Slow boiling is a cooking technique that removes excess moisture and achieves a gel-like consistency. It also serves to preserve the food by eliminating organic impurities.

After cooking, the recipe instructs to pour the fruit paste onto the tavolo o superficie di lavoro (table or work surface) or pietra bagnata (wet stone). When the recipe instructs to "distendi suso una tavola" (spread it on a table), it suggests using a flat surface, such as a tabletop, or a wet stone to hold and shape the fruit paste. Placing the mixture on a flat surface allows for gradual heat release and even cooling, facilitating easier handling and cutting once the apio has solidified. 

 

Analysis of Cooking Techniques used in Apio

 The Apio recipe employs a variety of cooking techniques to achieve its outcome. When grating the apples, finely shredding them ensures easier cooking and infusion of flavors. The air-drying step removes excess moisture from the fruit, concentrating the flavor. Soaking the grated apples in honey for two days before cooking actively enhances the flavor, texture, and preservation of the apples while allowing them to absorb the honey’s sweetness and flavor. Regular stirring during cooking is crucial to ensure heat is evenly distributed and prevent the mixture from sticking to the pot. Finally, pouring the mixture onto a flat shallow surface after cooking to cool allows it to thicken and stiffen into a flexible, gel-like consistency.

The Importance of Presentation and the Use of Bay Laurel Leaves

 The recipe instructs the cook to place the prepared apio on a dish along with laurel leaves, both underneath and on top, as indicated by the phrase "picholi e reponile in una schatolla con foie de laurano de sotto e poy de sopra."  Serving the apio on fresh bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.) adds an elegant touch to the presentation, a visually pleasing contrast between the vibrant color of the candy and the vivid green of the leaves.

It is important to note that the bay leaves are not intended for consumption but serve as an ornamental element. Despite being commonly utilized in culinary preparations, bay leaves are generally not ingested in their raw or whole form due to their leathery texture, which can be unpalatable. To extract their desired flavor and aroma fully, bay leaves are best utilized by simmering, boiling, or infusing them in liquids during cooking. Their presence in this recipe is solely decorative.

It is worth mentioning, however, that even in their raw state, bay leaves make contributions beyond the ornamental. Bay leaves – like honey -- possess significant preservative and microbial properties that contribute to their value in the culinary world. The leaves contain essential oils, such as cineol, eugenol, and linalool, which exhibit antimicrobial effects against various bacteria and fungi. Their ability to inhibit pathogens like Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes makes them a natural food preservative. Additionally, the antioxidants found in bay leaves, including caffeic acid and rutin, aid in preventing oxidative damage and spoilage. Thus, bay leaves serve as a natural food preservative due to their ability to hinder the growth of microorganisms and extend the shelf life of various food preparations. In addition to their preservative properties, bay leaves are an effective insect repellent. The pungent aroma of these leaves, primarily due to essential oils, deters pests like ants, cockroaches, and weevils. This natural quality makes bay leaves valuable to food storage areas or dried goods, safeguarding them from infestations. Historically, bay leaves have been utilized in traditional medicine for their antimicrobial attributes, aiding digestion, respiratory ailments, and wound healing. These multifaceted properties of bay leaves contribute to their extensive use in culinary practices and various therapeutic applications (Sirikin, 2018).  

Conclusion

 In conclusion, the exploration of the manuscript "Il libro per cuoco o Anonimo Veneziano o Anonimo Veneto" offers valuable insights into the early history of candy making and the culinary traditions of early Italy by providing a glimpse into the cooking methods, ingredients, and preferences of that era. Of the many recipes found within the document, one recipe, "CXXXII. Confetti de melle apio o de pome paradiso se le voy fare subito chomo è gratate le poy fare come ti pare," stands out. It showcases the creation of Apio, an apple-based fruit paste using honey as the primary sweetener, reflecting the prevalence of honey as a sweetener during that time. This rediscovered recipe not only offers a delicious treat but also highlights the interplay of humoral qualities in ancient Greek dietetics and how it continued to impact diet in the fifteenth century, emphasizing the balance of bodily humors through carefully selected ingredients.

Researchers who may be interested in further exploration into medieval culinary practices in the fourteenth and fifteenth century, should consider the following books. "Liber de Coquina," a 14th-century Neapolitan cookbook. "Le Viandier," authored by Guillaume Tirel (Taillevent) in the 14th century, is a French cookbook. For a glimpse into the culinary practices of medieval England, "Forme of Cury" is an essential resource. Compiled by King Richard II's chefs in the late 14th century, this cookbook contains a diverse range of recipes. To explore the gastronomy of medieval Catalonia, "Libre del Coch" by Ruperto de Nola is recommended.

  

Final Thoughts:

The recipe for Apio proved to be a time-consuming but straightforward process, taking five days to complete. The resulting product had a deep red color and a delightful blend of spices, with a concentrated apple flavor that was not overly sweet despite the generous use of honey. The presentation of the fruit paste was visually stunning, resembling jewels on a vibrant green backdrop.

Surprisingly modern in taste, this recipe could easily find a place on a cheese board or even as a unique addition to a sandwich. It would serve as an excellent dessert course alongside other candies such as manus christi, sugar plate, comfits, marzipan, marchpane, or gingerbread. 

  

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