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Showing posts with label Historical Reference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historical Reference. Show all posts

Almond Milk in the Middle Ages — History, Humors & Culinary Uses

Bowl of ground almonds ready to be made into almond milk
Ground almonds mixed with water – the basis of almond milk, a medieval staple.

Almond Milk in the Middle Ages — History, Humors & Uses

Originally Published 11/10/2015 / Updated 10/1/2025

“The more things change, the more they remain the same.” That phrase feels especially true when we look at almond milk. Today, we reach for it as a dairy-free alternative in lattes or smoothies. In the Middle Ages, cooks turned to it for many of the same reasons: dietary restrictions, health, and versatility.

Almond milk appears in nearly every major medieval cookbook — from the English Forme of Cury (c. 1390) to French texts like Le Viandier. Whether thickened into custards, stirred into pottages, or sweetened for desserts, it was a foundational ingredient in European kitchens from the 13th–15th centuries. Understanding almond milk helps unlock a whole category of medieval recipes.

Origins & Spread of Almonds

The almond tree (Prunus dulcis) is native to the regions of modern-day Iran and Central Asia. Cultivation spread westward along trade networks into Persia and the Mediterranean by the first millennium BCE. The Greeks and Romans knew almonds well — Roman authors like Pliny the Elder mention them, and they were commonly served at banquets.

Through Roman expansion and later Arab influence in Spain and Sicily, almonds became established throughout southern Europe. By the 9th–10th centuries, almond-based dishes appear in Arabic medical and culinary texts, praised both for flavor and for their gentle, “cooling” effect in humoral medicine.

Almonds on the Move: From Orchard to Feast Table

  • Italy & France: Almonds were cultivated in Mediterranean orchards and imported inland. French and Italian manuscripts from the 13th–14th centuries make frequent use of almond milk in sauces, custards, and pottages.
  • England & Germany: By the late Middle Ages, almonds were arriving in northern ports like London, Lübeck, and Hamburg. They were expensive imports, sometimes listed alongside spices and sugar in customs rolls. Their cost gave them a dual role: practical (for fast days) but also a marker of wealth and status when used lavishly in feasts.
  • Monastic & noble kitchens: Monasteries, bound by fasting rules, relied heavily on almond milk. Nobles embraced it for both practical and prestigious reasons, often specifying “thick” almond milk in their cookery books.

In this way, the humble almond traveled thousands of miles — from Asian orchards to English feasting halls — and almond milk became one of the most common “dairy substitutes” in medieval Europe.

Why Almond Milk Was Essential

  • Religious fasting: Animal milk was prohibited on fast days. Almond milk allowed cooks to create “dairy-like” dishes during Lent and other observances.
  • Shelf life: Fresh cow’s milk spoiled quickly. Almonds, stored dry, could be turned into fresh milk on demand.
  • Status & luxury: Almonds were imported and costly, signaling refinement at noble tables.
  • Versatility: Used in both savory and sweet contexts — soups, sauces, blancmange, custards, even beverages.

Almonds & Humoral Theory

In Galenic medicine, almonds were considered “hot and moist.” Almond milk, tempered with water, was thought gentler on the stomach than cow’s milk and was prescribed for the sick or those with delicate digestion. This idea echoes modern perceptions of almond milk as “lighter” and easier to digest.

How It Was Made

Medieval almond milk was made almost exactly as we do today:

  1. Soak whole almonds, then grind them to a paste with a mortar and pestle.
  2. Mix with warm water, wine, or broth depending on the recipe.
  3. Strain through cloth to produce a smooth liquid.

The ratio determined the thickness. Recipes often call for “thick” almond milk when a rich base was needed, or a thinner version for soups and sauces. Sweetening with sugar, honey, or rosewater was common, while savory versions might use broth or even wine.

Uses in Medieval Cookery

  • Savory: In sauces like Rapeye, in fish pottages, or as the base for meatless soups.
  • Sweet: In blancmange, rice puddings, and custards.
  • Feasts: Almond milk was prepared in large quantities ahead of service — much like we buy cartons today.

Then & Now

The parallels are striking:

  • Medieval: fasting, shelf-stable, luxury, versatile.
  • Modern: vegan/dairy-free, shelf-stable cartons, premium organic blends, versatile in cooking.

What was once a Lenten necessity has become a café staple.

A Dynere of Flesche — John Russell’s Medieval Feast and the Logic of Digestion

A Dynere of Flesche — John Russell’s Medieval Feast and the Logic of Digestion

Medieval banquet scene with a roasted peacock re-dressed in its feathers presented at table.
Roasted peacock served “re-plumed,” a classic showpiece in late-medieval banquets. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Introduction

In the mid-fifteenth century, court official John Russell compiled the Boke of Nurture (Harley MS 4011), a manual of etiquette, service, and feasting. Among its most intriguing passages is “A Dynere of Flesche”—a model feast for a flesh day. At first glance it reads like excess: swan, peacock, venison, custards, jellies, fritters, sotelties. But beneath the display lies clear order, guided by humoral theory and the theory of digestion.

  • Humoral theory:
    • Foods are classified hot/cold, moist/dry.
    • The goal was balance — so heavy/dry meats might be paired with moist/sweet sauces, or cooling jellies follow heating roasts.
  • Theory of Digestion (stomach as a fireplace model):

    • Light, quick-digesting foods first (whet the appetite, “open the stomach”).

    • Heavy meats mid-meal (need the appetite at full flame).

    • Cooling or binding foods at the end (to “close the stomach” and aid digestion).

    • Spices and hippocras (spiced wine) seal the stomach and prevent putrefaction.

Feasting, Status, and Seasonality

Russell’s menu was a model feast—aspirational and didactic. It reflected both status and medical order:

  • Luxury foods: swan, peacock, crane, bustard, sea bream inland, imported sugar, almonds, and rice.
  • Sotelties: allegorical sugar or pastry sculptures, more about piety and performance than eating.
  • Hierarchy: the high table saw the full spread; lower tables ate simpler portions.
  • Seasonality: autumn/winter hunting game + preserved foods (brawn, baked quinces, hippocras). Likely a winter festival setting—Christmas or Twelfth Night.

The Logic of the Courses

First Course: Awakening the Appetite

The feast begins with brawn of boar with mustard. Preserved brawn (salted/pressed) was hot/dry, paired with mustard (also hot/dry) to stimulate appetite. Then came pottages of herbs, spice, and wine (warm, moist, aromatic), followed by staples—beef and mutton, heavy and dry but softened by sauces. Showpieces—pheasant and swan with chawdron sauce, capons, pig, venison bake—balanced humors by variety. The course lifted with leches and fritters, hot/oily appetite stimulants, and paused with a sotelty of the Annunciation.

Second Course: Heaviest Roasts & Entremets

The second course starts gently with blancmanger (chicken and almond, moist and white) and jellies (cooling, clarifying). Then came the heaviest fare: venison, kid, fawn, coney, bustard, stork, crane, peacock, heron. These were dry/hot meats, demanding the stomach’s “strongest fire.”

Between them: entremets—custards, pastries, sweet leches—moist refreshers, palate cleansers, and spectacles. A fritter revived appetite, and an angelic sotelty provided allegory and pause.

Third Course: Stepping Down

Cream of almonds and mawmany were restorative and nourishing. Smaller roasts—curlews, snipes, quails, sparrows—replaced great birds. Moist/cooling dishes returned: perch in jelly, crayfish. Quinces baked (astringent) helped close digestion, alongside sage fritters and spiced leches. A Magi sotelty provided solemn close.

Finale: Issue & Sendoff

The issue de table included pippins (apples) with caraway comfits, custard (blaunderelle), wafers, and hippocras. Apples (cold/dry) restrained excess; caraway (hot/dry) dispelled wind; hippocras (spiced wine) “sealed” the stomach.

Overall Temperament by Course

Hot Cold Moist Dry Astringent
Course / Stage Overall Temperament Why this net effect?
First Course Hot Dry (+Moist from pottages) Opens with mustard & preserved brawn (hot/dry stimulants), then warm/moist pottages; heavy meats appear early but are sauced. Net effect = warming/activating with a slight dry edge to “open the stomach.”
Second Course Hot Dry (+ moderated by Moist entremets) Heaviest roasts (venison, crane, peacock) are hot/dry at peak digestion; custards/jellies (entremets) punctuate to moisten/refresh. Net effect = the feast’s hottest/driest point, tempered between platters.
Third Course Moist Cool (+ Astringent close) Steps down with smaller birds and moist/cooling fish in jelly; baked quinces add astringency to begin closure; sage fritters give brief warmth without flipping the net trend.
Finale (Issue & Boute-hors) Cool Dry → sealed by HotDry (hippocras) Raw apples + caraway comfits = cool/dry & wind-dispelling; wafers are light/dry. Final seal with hippocras (hot/dry) “closes the stomach” and guards against putrefaction.


Show SCA stages with temperament
SCA StageTemperamentNotes
On Table / EntranceHotDryMustard & brawn stimulate and announce status.
Pottages & Gentle DishesMoistWarmOpens and soothes the stomach.
Great RoastsHotDryPeak heat/dryness; serve when digestion is strongest.
EntremetsMoistCoolPalate/digestion refreshers between roasts.
Lighter Birds & FishMoistCoolStep-down phase toward closure.
Dessert / FruitAstringentBegins the “binding” close (quinces, etc.).
IssueCoolDryRaw apples + comfits; wafers light and crisp.
Boute-horsHotDryHippocras seals the stomach.

Feast Planning with Russell’s Menu

For SCA feast planners, Russell’s feast maps neatly into modern service frameworks:

Downloadable Resources:

StageDishes from Russell’s MenuDigestive Role
On Table / EntranceMustard & brawnStimulates appetite, prestige
PottagesPottage, blancmanger, jelliesGentle starters, open stomach
Great RoastsBeef, mutton, venison, swan, peacock, bustard, crane, etc.Heaviest, driest meats; mid-digestion
EntremetsCustards, pastries, fritters, soteltiesPalate refreshers, visual allegories
Lighter Birds & FishCurlew, quail, perch in jelly, crayfishMoist/cooling, easier to digest
Dessert / FruitQuinces baked, sage frittersAstringent closure, sharpen digestion
IssueApples with caraway, wafersRefresh and bind, dispel wind
Boute-horsHippocrasSpiced wine to seal digestion

Mythbusting Russell’s Feast

  • “Feasts were chaotic.” ❌ They followed medical choreography.
  • “Everyone ate the same food.” ❌ Hierarchy dictated portions.
  • “Peacock and swan were delicacies.” ❌ They were tough; value lay in spectacle.
  • “Sugar was common.” ❌ It was a costly luxury spice.
  • “Fritters were desserts only.” ❌ They appear in every course as stimulants.
  • “Fruit was always cooked.” ❌ The pippins at issue were raw, paired with comfits.

✅ Dos & ❌ Don’ts by Course

  • First Course
    ✅ Pair heavy meats with moist dishes (pottage, sauce)
    ❌ Don’t open with multiple cold/moist foods — they dull appetite
  • Second Course
    ✅ Interleave entremets between heavy roasts
    ❌ Don’t serve only hot/dry roasts back-to-back — digestion overload
  • Third Course
    ✅ Use cooling/moist dishes (fish, almond cream) to “calm the stomach”
    ❌ Don’t drop in new hot/dry meats here — it reverses the descent
  • Finale
    ✅ Always end with an astringent fruit + spiced closer
    ❌ Don’t pile sweets without balance — needs closure to “seal digestion”

Conclusion

Russell’s Dynere of Flesche shows that medieval dining was deliberate: humoral balance, digestive order, spectacle, and hierarchy all interlaced. What seems like excess was careful choreography. For modern readers—and especially SCA feast stewards—it offers both inspiration and a reminder: a medieval feast was an art of health and performance.

Why this matters today: Russell’s feast reminds us that medieval banquets were not chaotic indulgence, but carefully balanced systems of health, status, and art. It’s a reminder that food has always been about more than eating—it shapes identity, power, and performance at the table.

Glossary: a few terms
  • Chawdron: rich sauce of entrails/offal.
  • Entremets: “between-dishes” (light/spectacular interludes).
  • Sotelty: edible allegory/sculpture, more for the eyes than the stomach.
  • Issue de table: light closing bites after courses.
  • Boute-hors: sendoff drink(s), e.g., hippocras.

Source: John Russell, Boke of Nurture, Harleian MS 4011, fol. 171 (c. 1460).

Further reading
  • Flandrin & Montanari (eds.), Food: A Culinary History — feast structure.
  • Hieatt & Butler (eds.), Curye on Inglysch — Middle English recipes.
  • Adamson, Food in Medieval Times — ingredients, trade, status.


From Sauce to Aspic: The 500-Year Journey of Galentyne → Galantine

From Sauce to Aspic – The 500-Year Journey of Galentyne → Galantine


From hot medieval sauce to elegant cold aspic — the shifting identity of galentyne/galantine.

What’s in a name? Few dishes illustrate the transformations of European cuisine as vividly as galentyne. In the 14th century, it meant a spiced, bread-thickened sauce for meats or fish. By the 19th century, galantine had become a boned, stuffed, aspic-set cold dish — a centerpiece of French haute cuisine. Here we trace that remarkable journey across 500 years, with original recipes and modern adaptations.


Medieval Origins (14th–15th c.)

Harleian MS. 279 (England, c.1430): Fyletes in Galentyne is one of the best known. Pork is roasted, cut up, and stewed with onions, pepper, ginger, bread, and vinegar, finished with blood or sanders for color.

“Take fayre porke of the fore quarter, and rost hit tyl hit be almost ynogh; … and colour hit with blode, or elles with sandres, and then lat hit boyle up wel, and serve it forth.”

See the full recipe in our updated Fyletes in Galentyne post.

Entremets — The Forgotten Medieval Course

Entremets — The Forgotten Medieval Course Between Pottage and Roast
Paolo Veronese, The Feast in the House of Levi (1573), Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Updated: 2025-09-11 · Labels: Entremet · Feast Planning · Historical Cooking · Medieval · Renaissance

Modern feast menus often jump from a pottage or soup straight to roasts. Historically, diners expected something between. The entremet (Old French: “between-dish”) served as a bridge between heavy services, offering refreshment, surprise, and sometimes outright spectacle. This post explains the term’s origins, how it functioned, where it went, and practical ways to revive it in today’s feasts.

Etymology & Early References

Entremet derives from Old French (entre + mettre/mettre “to place/send in between”), literally a dish interposed between services. The concept appears prominently in 14th‑century French sources such as Le Viandier and later in Le Ménagier de Paris; in English material (e.g., Harleian MS. 279, c.1430) you find dishes that likely filled the same role, even when not labeled “entremet.”

Function of the Entremet

  • Pacing & Palate Reset: a light interlude after dense pottages or fish and before the roasts.
  • Spectacle & Surprise: color shifts, unusual textures, disguised forms, molded shapes.
  • Status & Seasonality: ingredients like saffron, sugar, almonds signal wealth and trade access; colors and motifs reflect seasonal/religious themes.

Entremet vs. Soteltie (Subtlety)

AspectEntremetSoteltie / Subtlety
Purpose Culinary surprise between services; light refreshment Edible (or semi‑edible) display; allegory, heraldry, pageant
Form Real dishes: rice, fritters, jellies, fruit, delicate pottages Sculpted pastry/sugar/marzipan; sometimes inedible components
Placement Between major courses (e.g., after fish/pottage, before roasts) Also between courses, but primarily ceremonial/representational
Examples Blawnche Perrye; colored rice; almond jelly; small fritters Heraldic beasts; castles; motto banners; sugar tableaux

Historical Examples

  • Blawnche Perrye — a light, pale pottage; visually striking early in a feast.
  • Colored rice — saffron‑gold, parsley‑green, or spiced rice for contrast.
  • Fritters — rice or fruit fritters served in small bites.
  • Jellies — molded almond or wine jellies; multicolored effects.
  • Disguised dishes — meats/fish presented in altered forms for surprise.

Regional Variations of the Entremet

While the entremet began in French courtly dining, the idea of a “between dish” spread widely. Each region adapted the form to local tastes, ingredients, and cultural priorities.

France

In sources such as Le Viandier and Le Ménagier de Paris (14th c.), entremets often took spectacular form — multicolored jellies, stuffed or disguised animals, and occasional allegorical displays.

England

English manuscripts like Harleian MS. 279 (~1430) present plainer entremets: light pottages (e.g., Blawnche Perrye), spiced rice, or oyster dishes — emphasizing humoral balance over pageantry.

Italy

Italian masters (Maestro Martino, Scappi) blurred entremets with refined lighter courses: almond milk dishes, sugared rice, small pasta or vegetable preparations with elegant presentation.

Spain & Catalonia

Texts such as Llibre de Coch (1520) show sweet‑leaning entremets — almond pastes, candied fruits, spiced rice — foreshadowing dessert traditions.

Germany

German Speisebücher and later works (e.g., Anna Wecker, 1598) feature Zwischenspeisen (“between‑dishes”): saffron or parsley‑colored rice, Sülze (bright fish/meat jellies), and fritters like Krapfen or Strauben — practical, colorful, and texturally contrasting.

Comparison at a Glance

RegionStyleTypical Entremets
FranceSpectacle & allegoryMulticolored jellies; disguised animals; displays
EnglandPlain & balancingLight pottages; Blawnche Perrye; spiced rice; oysters
ItalyRefined & sweet‑leaningAlmond milk dishes; sugared rice; elegant vegetables/pasta
SpainSweet & aromaticCandied fruit; almond pastes; sweet rice
GermanyPractical & colorfulSaffron/parsley rice; Sülze; fritters (Krapfen, Strauben)

Cultural Implications of the Entremet

  • Status & Wealth: saffron, sugar, and almonds advertised trade connections and prosperity.
  • Hospitality & Generosity: an “extra” dish beyond necessity signaled refined care for guests.
  • Symbolism & Allegory: colors, shapes, and motifs could project heraldry, virtues, or politics.
  • Religious Context: on fast days, almond/fish/rice entremets expressed piety while keeping celebration.
  • Urban vs. Rural: princely or guild feasts layered multiple entremets; smaller households scaled with fruit or fritters.

Techniques & Ingredients for Recreating Historical Entremets Today

Coloring & Flavoring

  • Saffron for gold; spinach/parsley juice for green; beet/red wine for red‑purple.
  • Pouder douce/forte-inspired spice mixes (cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise/pepper, clove) for warming balance.

Texture & Setting

  • Gelatin sheets as a modern stand‑in for isinglass; almond milk (unsweetened) for dairy‑free jellies/pottages; rice flour for smooth thickening.
  • Use silicone molds or small ramekins for easy unmolding and portion control.

Service & Plating

  • Keep portions amuse‑bouche to tasting‑spoon size.
  • Serve on trenchers or small plates for visual “in‑between” cues.
  • Contrast color/temperature with adjacent courses (e.g., warm saffron rice after a cool fish pottage).

How Preparation & Serving Evolved Across Cultures

  • France: 14th‑c. courtly showpieces; by 17th‑c. service à la française, “entremets” shifts toward plated side dishes (vegetables/sweets).
  • England: lighter, balancing dishes early on; later, subtleties dominate the between‑course spectacle while “entremet” as a named category fades.
  • Italy: refined palate‑cleansers in Martino/Scappi; drift toward sweet course traditions.
  • Germany: practical Zwischenspeisen (colored rice, Sülze, fritters) persist as pacing devices; concept echoes into modern zwischenmahlzeiten (snacks).
  • Spain/Catalonia: sweet, aromatic dishes bridge to the rise of post‑meal desserts.

Social & Political Implications of Elaborate Entremets

  • Political messaging: allegorical colors/figures could reinforce heraldry, dynastic claims, or alliances.
  • Diplomatic theatre: multiple entremets broadcast wealth and organizational prowess to envoys/guests.
  • Religious signalling: fast‑day almond/rice/fish displays piety + generosity.
  • Guild identity: urban companies used entremets to rival noble display and celebrate craft prosperity.
  • Class contrast: layering “extras” underlined hierarchy where common tables had few courses.

Modern Feast Planning: Reviving the Entremet

  • Pick one small, high‑impact dish (colored rice, fritter, molded jelly).
  • Plate for contrast (color/temperature/texture) and keep portions small.
  • Mind humoral balance: pair cold‑moist (oysters, almond milk) with warming spices (ginger, pepper).
  • Leverage dietary wins: many entremets are naturally GF/DF; offer a vegan variant where sensible.

🍽️ Entremet Examples on Give it Forth

FAQ: Does a Modern Galantine Count as an Entremet?

Sometimes. If served as a small, decorative “between” dish (rather than as part of the roast service), a galantine can function as an entremet. Keep portions modest and presentation striking; otherwise it reads as a main meat course.

Sources & Further Reading

Potash & Pearl Ash: The Alkaline Origins of American Baking

  • Front cover and title page scans from Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery (1796)


  • From Ash to Rise: Potash, Pearl Ash, and the First American Chemical Leaveners

    Before commercial baking powder revolutionized the kitchen, early bakers reached for something far more rustic: ashes. Specifically, they utilized the lye-rich remnants of burned hardwood to produce potash and, later, its refined cousin, pearl ash. These alkaline salts, when combined with acidic ingredients, acted as the first chemical leaveners of early American and European baking.

    What is Potash?

    Potash, or potassium carbonate, is derived from the ashes of burned hardwood. Traditionally, early cooks would soak wood ash in water, extract the resulting lye, and boil off the liquid to concentrate the alkaline residue.  The name "pot ash" originates from the iron pots historically used during this production process. 

    Pearl Ash: The Cleaner Leavener

    Pearl ash is a purified form of potash.  The refinement process involved dissolving crude potash in water, allowing the insoluble sediment to settle, then filtering and gently evaporating the solution until white crystals formed. This process created a cleaner, more consistent leavening agent preferred for baking cakes and biscuits.

    How Alkaline Leavening Works

    Neither potash nor pearl ash works alone. They need an acidic partner to trigger a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas. This gas forms bubbles in batters and doughs, helping them rise and achieve a light texture. 

    • Potash: Stronger, more caustic, less refined — best used with caution or in soapmaking.
    • Pearl Ash: More purified, milder, and food safe —  suitable for cakes, biscuits, and cookies.

    How Does It Compare to Hartshorn?

    Hartshorn, or ammonium carbonate, differs in that it does not require an acid to activate.  It's ideal for crisp cookies like Springerle, where dryness is key.  In contrast, potash-based leaveners must be carefully balanced with acidic components, or the resulting bake may carry an unpleasant alkaline flavor.  Potash typically found its place in softer quick breads and early cakes. 

    📚 Curious about hartshorn? Click here to explore how bakers used ammonium carbonate before baking soda became common.

    Refining Potash into Pearl Ash

    Pearl ash isn’t just cleaner potash—it’s the result of a deliberate purification process. Historically, makers dissolved crude potash in water, allowed insoluble impurities to settle out, then filtered and gently evaporated the liquid until white crystals formed. This recrystallized form offered better predictability and reduced off-flavors in baked goods.

    Common Acidic Pairings in Historical Recipes

    • Buttermilk or clabbered milk
    • Molasses (commonly used in gingerbreads)
    • Vinegar or sour wine
    • Apple cider or citrus juice

    Historical Note: Gingerbread with Pearl Ash

    The earliest American-published cookbook, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons (1796), includes several recipes calling for pearl ash as a leavening agent. One gingerbread variant reads:

    “Gingerbread Cakes” – One quart of molasses, one pound of sugar, three quarters of a pound of shortening, one cup of sour milk, four teaspoons pearl ash, four tablespoons ginger, cinnamon and cloves to taste, and as much flour as will make it roll out.

    Amelia Simmons, American Cookery (1796)

    Where to Find Potash or Pearl Ash Today

    • Potash: You can make it at home from hardwood ashes, but for safety and consistency, it's best sourced as food-grade potassium carbonate from specialty chemical suppliers or soapmaking shops (e.g., Bulk Apothecary, The Lye Guy).
    • Pearl Ash: Much harder to find today, but chemically similar results can be achieved with food-grade potassium carbonate or by using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in a modern adaptation.

    Example: Gingerbread with Pearl Ash (1796)

    Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery (1796) features several gingerbread cookie recipes that call for pearl ash—a purified form of potash—dissolved in milk or water. This marks one of the earliest printed uses of a chemical leavener in American baking. 🧁

    View the original 1796 scans, or check the Smithsonian & American Heritage notes on Simmons's innovations :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.

    Historical Example: Gingerbread with Pearl Ash

    Adapted from late 18th-century sources:

    • 2 cups flour
    • 1 cup molasses
    • 1/4 cup butter, melted
    • 1 tsp pearl ash dissolved in 1 tbsp vinegar
    • 1 tsp ginger
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • Optional: cloves or nutmeg
    1. Mix molasses, butter, and spices.
    2. Add pearl ash mixture.
    3. Stir in flour gradually to form a dough.
    4. Drop by spoonful or roll and cut into rounds.
    5. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
    📜 Want to learn more about potash and pearl ash? Click here to explore how ashes became America’s first chemical leaveners.

    The Rise of Baking Powder

    The arrival of commercial baking powder made baking more accessible. Unlike potash or pearl ash, it included both alkaline and acidic components, eliminating the guesswork. Home cooks no longer needed to rely on tricky ratios or worry about acidic pairings—baking became easier, faster, and more reliable. This convenience marked the end of Pearl Ash’s reign in the kitchen.

    Other Forgotten Leaveners

    Before modern yeast and chemical leaveners, a variety of traditional techniques helped baked goods to rise 
    • Ale barm: Foam from fermenting beer, used in breads and cakes before commercial yeast.
    • Egg leavening: Beaten egg whites or whole eggs incorporated air, helping cakes and sponges rise naturally.
    • Sack starters: Fermented mixtures using sack (fortified wine) and flour as makeshift yeast.

    Quick Comparison: Forgotten Alkaline Leaveners

    Leavener Source Needs Acid? Best Used In
    Potash Boiled wood ash Yes Quick breads, early cakes
    Pearl Ash Purified potash Yes Gingerbread, sponge cake
    Hartshorn Distilled antlers or hooves No Crisp cookies, Springerle

    Further Reading & Recipes to Explore

    🧾 Coming Soon: This post is part of the Forgotten Leaveners series. Watch for the downloadable bundle, including:
    • Comparison chart of early leaveners
    • Printable recipe cards
    • Bonus bakes: potash cakes, Springerle, and more

    💾 Follow me on Ko-fi to get updates when it's live!

    The Importance of Color in the Middle Ages

    Illuminated medieval banquet scene in vivid red, blue, green, and gold, showing the symbolic role of color in feasting and status.
    A medieval banquet scene from an illuminated manuscript, where rich colors—red, blue, green, and gold—signaled wealth, virtue, and festal meaning.

    The Importance of Color in the Medieval and Renaissance World

    Color in the medieval and Renaissance world wasn’t decoration—it was language. Every hue carried meaning, from the virtues on a knight’s shield to the foods on a feast table. This article explores the rich symbolism of color across heraldry, religion, humoral medicine, and banqueting, with a case study of the tawny-hued drink Tannye from Harleian MS. 279. Discover how cooks used spices, herbs, blood, and even saffron to dye their dishes with purpose, and how diners read those colors as signs of faith, fortune, and health.

    Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” — A Christmas Dinner in Honor of the Cratchits (Victorian Menu)

    Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” — A Christmas Dinner in Honor of the Cratchits (Victorian Menu)

    Updated: August 19, 2025

    Featuring recipes for: Roast Goose, Sage & Onion Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Apple Sauce, Beef Gravy, Christmas Plum Pudding — plus bonus pantry sauces: Harvey’s Sauce & Mushroom Ketchup.

    A Christmas Dinner in Honor of the Cratchits

    John Leech’s 1843 illustration, The Third Visitor, from A Christmas Carol
    The Third Visitor — John Leech, 1843

    Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, 1861

    A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas (1843) is my perennial December re-read. It’s timeless, hopeful—and born of a darker reality Dickens refused to ignore. Before we sit down to the Cratchits’ dinner, a little context.

    Menu at a Glance

    Apothecary Weights and Measures: Historical Symbols and Conversions

    Apothecary Weights and Measures: Historical Symbols and Conversions

    Updated for accuracy and usability (Aug 2025). If you’re translating historical recipes or herbals and keep bumping into ℈ ʒ ℥, this page is your friend. Below you’ll find corrected gram values, a quick converter, and a few notes on look-alike units that trip people up.

    Out of a Spice? Spice Substitution Chart for Cooks: Historical and Modern Alternatives

    Medieval-style herbalist at work—an illuminated manuscript depicting labeled herbs, tools, and a mortar & pestle preparing remedies and spices.

    Spice Substitution Chart: Historical and Modern Swaps for Home Cooks

    Update (August 19, 2025): This page has been expanded with added historical context, clarified notes, and improved search.

    Missing mace in your recipe? Can’t find grains of paradise?

    Whether you’re preparing a medieval feast or just need a quick fix, this searchable spice substitution chart has you covered. We include practical replacements and historically inspired swaps for cooks, reenactors, and food-history fans alike. From cinnamon and clove to rarities like grains of paradise or long pepper, these tested substitutions help you adapt without losing the dish’s character.

    Historical Spice Substitutions

    In medieval and Renaissance cookery, substitutions were essential: spices were seasonal, expensive, and often unavailable. Manuscripts like Forme of Cury and Libro de arte coquinaria specify blends, but household cooks adjusted based on access. This list balances modern flavor compatibility with known historical usage, keeping the spirit of the original.

    How to use these substitutions: Start small and adjust to taste—pungent spices (clove, cardamom) can dominate. Working from a period recipe? Consider the spice’s humoral qualities or symbolic role; substitutions may shift intent slightly.

    Need measurement conversions instead?
    Check our conversion guide: Spice Measurement FAQ – Ounces to Tablespoons.