Mell Violatum (Voilet Honey), Oyl of Violets (Violet Oil), Vyolette (Violet Pottage), To Make Syrupe of Violets (Violet Syrup) (Of Marche Violets)

Of March Violets: Medicinal and Culinary Lore

Family: Violaceae
Names: Violet, Sweete Violet, Viola nigra, Viola purpure, Virgil Vaccinium, Viola, Marche violet, Viola porporea, Viola mammola, Violetas, Violette de Mars, Blauw veiel, Mertzen violen, Violetten, Violaria, Mater violarum.
Usage: Culinary, Medical

"Violets are God's apology for February..."
– Barbara Johnson

Family: Violaceae
Names: Violet, Sweete Violet, Viola nigra, Viola purpure, Virgil Vaccinium, Viola, Marche violet, Viola porporea, Viola mammola, Violetas, Violette de Mars, Blauw veiel, Mertzen violen, Violetten, Violaria, Mater violarum.
Usage: Culinary, Medical

 Botanical Lore

This selection of violet descriptions and applications is drawn from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century herbals, cookbooks, and household manuals. Sweet violets were prized for their scent, cooling properties, and spiritual associations. Wild violets, though weaker in medicinal strength, were still used for their demure beauty and edible flowers.

📜 A Nievve Herball, 1554: Of Marche Violets

✰ The Kyndes.
There be two sortes of Violets: the garden and the wilde Violet. The Garden violets are of a fayre darke or shining deepe blewe colour, and a very pleasant and amiable smell. The wilde Violets are without sauour, and of a fainte blewe or pale colour.

✰ The Description.
[1] The sweete Garden or Marche violet, creepeth alongst ye ground like the Strawberie plante, fastening it selfe and taking roote in diuers places: his leaues be rounde and blackish like to Iuye leaues, sauing they be smaller, rounder, and tenderer: emongst the whiche leaues there springeth vp fayre & pleasant floures of a darke blew colour, eache floure growing alone by him selfe, vpon a little small and tender stemme. The floures are diuided into fiue small leaues, wherof the middle of the floures, with the tippes or poynted endes of the leaues are speckled or spotted with a certayne reddish yellow. After the floures there appeareth round bullets, or huskes full of seede, the whiche being ripe do open and diuide themselues into three partes, the roote is tender & of threddish strings.
Of this sorte, there is an other kinde planted in gardens, whose floures are very double, and full of leaues.
There is also a thirde kinde, bearing floures as white as snow.
And also a fourth kinde (but not very common) whose floures be of a darke Crymsen, or old reddish purple colour, in all other poyntes like to the first, as in his leaues, seede, and growing.
[2] The wilde is like to the garden Violet, but that his leaues are far smaller, his floures are somwhat greater, but much paler, yea sometimes almost white, and without sauour.

✰ The Place.
The sweete garden Violet, groweth vnder hedges, and about the borders of fieldes and pastures, in good ground and fertyle soyle, and it is also set and planted in gardens. The wilde kinde whiche is without smell, groweth in the borders of dry, leane, and barren fieldes.
The garden violet floureth in Marche and Aprill. The wilde also doth floure in Aprill, and afterwardes.

✰ The Names.
The sweete Violet is called in Greeke Ion: in Latine Viola nigra, Viola purpurea: & of Virgil Vaccinium: in Shoppes Viola: in English Violets, the garden Violet, the sweete Violet, and the Marche violet : in Italian Viola porporea, and Viola mammola: in Spanish Violetas: in Frenche Violette de Mars, ou de quaresme: in high Douch Blauw veiel, or Mertzen violen: in base Almaigne Violetten: the Violet plante or herbe is called in Shoppes Violaria, and Mater violarum.

✰ The cause of the Greeke name.
The sweete Violet (as the Emperour Constantine wryteth) was called in Greeke Ion, after the name of that sweete guirle or pleasant damosell Io, which Iupiter, after that he had gotte her with childe, turned her into a trim Heaffer or gallant Cowe, bycause that his wife Iuno (beyng bothe an angry and Ielous Goddesse) should not suspect that he loued Ion. In the honour of which his Io, as also for her more delicate and holsome feeding, the earth at the commaundement of Iupiter brought foorth Violettes, the whiche after the name of his welbeloued Io, he called in Greeke Ion: and therefore they are also called in Latine, as some do wryte, Violae, quasi vitulae & Vaccinia. Nicander wryteth, that the name of Ion was giuen vnto Violettes, bycause of the Nymphes of Ionia, who firste of all presented Iupiter with these kindes of floures.

✰ The Nature or Temperament.
Violets are colde in the first degree, and moyst in the second.

✰ The Vertues.

• [A] The Decoction of Violets is good against hoate feuers, and the inflammation of the Liuer, and all other inwarde partes, driuing forth by siege the hoate and cholerique humors. The like propertie hath the iuyce, syrupe, or conserue of the same.
• [B] The syrupe of Violets is good against the inflammation of the lunges and breast, and against the Pleurisie, and cough, and also against feuers or Agues, but especially in yong children.
• [C] The same Syrupe cureth all inflammations and roughnesse of the throte if it be much kept or often holden in the mouth. The sugar of violets, and also the conserue, and iuyce, bringeth the same to passe.
• [D] That yellow whiche is in the middest of the floures, boyled in water, is good to be gargled in the throte agaynst the squinancie or swelling in the throte: it is also good to be dronken agaynst the falling sickenesse in yong children.
• [E] Violets pounde and layde to the head alone, or mengled with oyle, remooueth the extreame heate, swageth head-ache, prouoketh sleepe, and moysteneth the brayne: it is good therefore against the drynesse of the head, against melancholy, and dulnesse or heauinesse of Spirite.
• [F] Violets brused or stamped with barlie meale, are good to be layde vpon phlegmons, that is to say, hoate unpostumes or carbuncles, and they heale the inflammation and paine of the eyes, also the hoate vlcers, and the inflammation that commeth with the falling downe of the fundament.
• [G] The seede of Violettes, dronken with wine or water, is good agaynst the stingings of Scorpions.
• [H] The herbe or plante is very good against hoate feuers, and the inflammations of the liuer, and looseth the belly.
• [I] The wilde Violets are almost of the same vertue, but they be a great deale weaker, and therefore they are not vsed in Medicine.

Historical Texts & Recipes

• 1554 – A Nievve Herball: Differentiates wild and garden violets, notes color variants (deep blue, white, crimson), and describes their creeping habit. Attributes their Greco-Roman name to the myth of Io and Jupiter.
• 1588 – Prepositas, A Compendious Treatise:
  • Mell Violatum: A syrup of violets and honey, helpful in hot fevers and dryness of chest and stomach.
  • Oil of Violets: Made by sun-steeping violets in olive oil and used topically for inflammation and lung complaints.
• 1659 – Culpeper’s School of Physick: Recommends almond butter with violets during Lent. Said to comfort the heart and brain and temper liver heat.
• 1690 – An English Herbal: Ascribes violet remedies for infections, jaundice, sore throats, and agues. Externally applied to reduce swelling and pain.

Violet Syrup (1608)

Source: A Closet for Ladies and Gentlevvomen

“Take your Violets, and pick the flowers, and weigh them, and then put them into a quart of water, and steepe them vpon hot embers, until such time as the flowers be turned white, and the water as blew as any violet. Then take to that quart of infusion four pound of clarified sugar, and boil it till it come to a syrup…”

Recipes Featuring Violets

• Harleian MS. 279 – .lxxxxj Vyolette – Violet Almond Pottage with rice flour, spices, fruits, and saffron, stirred with fresh violet flowers.
• Harleian MS. 279 – .Cxxv Vyolette – A custard-style dish made with almond milk, violet petals, and sugar or honey.

References & Resources

• Dodoens, R. (1554). A Nievve Herball
• Prepositas, N. (1588). A Compendious Treatise
• Culpeper, N. (1659). Culpeper’s School of Physick
• An English Herbal (1690)
• Of Marche Violets: Related Recipes and Links

⚠️ Reminder:

Always use organically grown or culinary-grade flowers. Never consume flowers from florists or treated ornamental plants.

Originally published 8/14/2020. Updated for expanded resources and culinary notes on 7/3/2025.

Homemade Vegetable stock, Vegetable Stock Powder & Homemade Bouillon Cubes

Homemade Vegetable Stock Powder – DIY Bouillon & Historical Tips

Learn how to make vegetable stock powder, vegetable stock, and homemade bouillon from scratch. Perfect for medieval-inspired cooking, camp meals, and budget-friendly feasts.

Kitchen Adventures – Cxi. Tannye (Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430))

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Cxi. Tannye

I have become fascinated by the array of colors that could be found in the food of this particular time period.  Here is one such example that I found in Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 Thomas Austin, which uses the simplest of ingredients to create a drink whose name is also it's color.

While doing research for this dish I ran across a very interesting book, Renaissance Colour Symbolism - By Roy Osborne.  I confess I have only begun to read it, but I have developed a much greater respect for this recipe because of it.  I did not realize how symbolic colors were in our late period and the early Renaissance.  One of the more interesting things I discovered was the fact that it was believed that God infused all of his creations with symbolism, and nowhere was this more present then in color.

Colors represented virtues.  For example,  the "seven worldly virtues" identified by  Jean Courtois (Le Blason de toutes armes et escutz-The Blazon of all Arms and Escutcheons, 1420) which identified armorial tinctures thus:

Gold (or) - wealth (richesse)
Silver (argent) - purity (purete)
Red (gules) - eminence (haultesse)
Blue (azure) - loyalty (loyaulte)
Green (vert) - happiness (lyesse)
Black (sable) - modesty (simplesse)
purple (purpure) - abundance of goods (habondance de biens)

The Church identified the colors as faith (or), hope (argent), charity (gules), justice (azure), fortitude (vert) prudence (sable) and temperance (purpure).  The seasons also were represented through color, spring as vert, summer as gules, autumn as azure and winter as sable. The planets also had representative colors:

Sun (or)
Mars (gules)
Moon (argent)
Jupiter (azure)
Mercury (purpure)
Venus (vert)
Saturn (sable)

Color symbolism was applied to humoral theory and the seven ages of man. For more information on  medieval dietary theory, which includes a very brief synopsis on humoral theory, and the application of it in creating modern feast menu's, please see my research paper located here.

Sanguine (gules)
Choleric (azure)
Phlegmatic (argent)
Melancholic (sable)

Argent (infancy, up to seven years)
Azure (childhood, up to fifteen years)
Or (adolescence, up to twenty-five years)
Vert (youth, up to thirty-five years)
Gules (maturity up to fifty years)
Purpure (elderliness up to seventy years)
Sable (decreptitude to death)

Knowing how significant color was in this time period, I wanted to know if the final product had a significance attached to it.  I was excited to find that it did.  The color tawny which leans towards white or yellow displays contrition, innocence and feigned joy, while the regular color, represented by the "Tannye" found in the manuscript should be reddish represents great courage or false valor. Geoffrey Whitney's "Choice of Emblemes (1585), has a poem "In Colores" talking about the color associations common with the dyer's craft.  In this poem we can see the name of the recipe, is actually a description of it's color.

For mourners, blacke, for the religious, white,
Which is a sign of conscience pure and free.
The greene agrees with them in hpe that live,
And eeke [also] to youth this colour wee doe give.
The yelowe next, unto the covetous wighte [person],
And unto those whom jelousie doth fret.
The man refus'd, in tannye [tawny] doth delite [delight].

.Cxj. Tannye.—Take almaunde Mylke, & Sugre, an powdere Gyngere, & of Galyngale, & of Canelle, and Rede Wyne, & boyle y-fere: & þat is gode tannye.

111. Tannye - Take almond milk, and sugar, and powder ginger, and of galingale, and of cinnamon, and red wine, and boil fair; and that is good tannye.

Interpreted Recipe 

3/4 cup almond milk (I used quick almond milk)
2 tsp. or more sugar (to taste)
1/4 tsp. ginger (or half tsp. ginger if no galingale)
1/4 tsp. galingale
Pinch of Cinnamon
1/4 cup red wine

Note: there is the possibility that your almond milk may curdle when red wine is added and the drink is brought to a boil.  Wine is acidic and adding acid to almond milk is how you make Fride Creme of Almaundys - Cold Cream of Almonds, a lenten alternative to butter or creamy cheese.  The trick is to heat all the ingredients together to just below a simmer, and then serve.  It's that easy.  If it curdles, and they bother you, strain through a strainer before serving. I am ok with it, so you can see that my tannye got a little curdled.  I let it get too warm.  This is delicious, slightly reminiscent of mulled wine with the ginger being the main spice, the cinnamon warmly following, and the almond milk making it creamy.  A must serve for a winter's revel.

More Information: 

Renaissance Colour Symbolism - By Roy Osborne

Recipe: To Pickle Purslain (Purslane)

Common Purslane - Portulaca oleracea

Family: Portulacaceae
Names: Purslane, Pusley, Pursley, Pigweed, Little Hogweed, Hogweed, Purslain, Garden Purslain, Red Root, Verdolaga, Wild Portulaca, Khorfeh, Duckweed, Purcelaine, Procelayne (Grete Herballe, 1516), Pourpier

Usage: Culinary, Medical

De portulace. Porcelayne / Ca. CCC.xl. (Grete Herballe, 1526)

POrtulax is a vertuous herbe. It coldeth in ye thyrde degre and moy∣steth in the secōde / and hath vertu to softē and to kele. It is good meate for coleryke folkes that be dyseased with feuers caused of coler. And also for them that be hole / yf it be eaten rawe it is profytable. The wa¦ter of the decoccyon is good to conserue the heate of the inwarde membres. It coleth the heet of feuers / it prouoketh vryne and vnbyndeth ye bely. It prouffyteth agaynst clyftes of the lyppes and fleyenges of the mouthe. Brenne the rote therof in a bras∣sen vessell and make powdre confyct with hony / and anoynte the lyppes therwith / & also it paleth the synsures of lazers anoyn∣ted therwith.

¶ For hote apostumes: A

¶ And yf it be brayed with vyneygre it is good agaynst hote apostumes. The iuce therof with all the herbe is prouffytable agaynst the hurtes of the bowelles / for it soupleth them. And is good to moderate ye vnmoderate flux of the matryce. Howbeit yf it be vsed to moche it marreth the syght and coleth the body / & letteth the coleryke vomyte / and habytacyon of woman. The sayd herbe chawed with a lytell vyneygre stoppeth the bledynge at the nose / and swa¦geth the brennynge of the stomake caused of coler. It is good agaynst feuers yf a playster therof be layde to the stomake wt a lytell vyneygre. It healeth ye tothe ache yf it be chawed / and healeth blaynes yf it be brused and layde theron.

¶ For payne of the reynes. B

¶ The iuce therof is good agaynst payne of the reynes and of the bladder / & restray¦neth the floures or menstrues in women. Water therof is good for bledynge emor∣roydes.

The sea Purcelayne flowreth in Iuly. (A Nievve Herball, 1554)

The Names.

Purcelayne is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine and in shoppes Portulaca: in Frenche, Pourpier → , or Pourcelaine: in high Douche, Burgel: in base Almaigne, Porceleyne: in English, Purcelayne.

[ 1] The first kinde is called Portulaca satiua, or Hortensis: in Frenche, ← Pourpier → , or Pourcelaine domestique, or cultinée: in high Douche, Heymisch Burgel, or Burtzes∣kraut: in base Almaigne, Roomsche Porceleyne, or tamme Porceleyne: in En∣glish, garden and tame Purcelayne.

[ 2] The seconde kinde is called of the newe writers, Portulaca syluestris: in Frenche, ← Pourpier sauuage: in high Douche, Wildt Burtzel: in base Almaigne, Ghemeyne, or wilde Porceleyne: in English, Wild Purcelayne: but yet this is not that wild Purcelayne, which is described in some copies of Dioscorides, the which is of a hoate nature or complexion.

[ 3] The thirde kinde of Purcelayne of the later writers, is called Portulaca ma∣rina: in Frenche, Pourcelaine de mer▪ in Douch, Zee Porceleyne. This seemeth to be that herbe which the Greekes call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: the Latinistes, Halimus, especially the seconde kinde described by Plinie.

❀ The Nature.

[ 1.2] The garden and wilde Purcelayne are cold in the thirde degree, and moyst in the seconde.

[ 3] Sea Purcelayne is playnely hoate and drie in the seconde degree.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] They vse to eate the garden and wild Purcelayne in Salades and meates, as they do Letuce, but it cooleth the blood, and maketh it waterie & nourisheth very litle: yet for all that, it is good for those that haue great heate in their sto∣mackes and inwarde partes.

[ B] The same taken in lyke sort, stoppeth all defluxions and falling downe of humours, and is good for the paynes of the bladder and kidneyes, & it healeth them, albeit they be exulcerated, fret or hurt.

[ C] Purcelayne comforteth the weake inflamed stomacke, & it taketh away the imaginations, dreames, fansies, & the outragious desire to the lust of the body.

[ D] The iuyce of Purcelayne dronken hath the same vertue: also it is good a∣gainst burning feuers, & against the wormes that ingender in the body of man.

[ E] It is good for such as spit blood, it stoppeth the blooddy flixe, the fluxe of the Hemoroides, & al issues of blood. It hath the like vertue being boyled & eaten.

[ F] The iuyce of Purcelayne powred vpon the head with oyle & vineger roset, swageth the head ache comming of heate, or of standing to long in the Sonne.

[ G] The same throwen vp into the mother or matrix, helpeth the burning in∣flammations, exulceratiōs, or gnawing frettings in the same, & powred in by a glister, it is good against the flixe of the guttes & exulceration of the bowelles.

[ H] The leaues of Purcelayne mingled with parched barley meale, and layde to the inflammations of the eyes, easeth the same, and taketh away the hoate swelling: so it is likewise good against S. Antonies fier, called Erysipelas: a∣gainst the heate and payne of the head, and against all hoate inflammations and tumours.

[ I] The same eaten rawe, are good against the teeth being set on edge, or asto∣nied, and it fasteneth them that be loose.

[ K] To conclude, Purcelayne cooleth all that is hoate, wherefore being layde vpon woundes, eyther by it selfe or with the meale of parched barley, it preser∣ueth woundes from inflammation.

[ L] The seede of Purcelayne beyng taken, kylleth and driueth foorth wormes, and stoppeth the laske.

[ M] The Sea Purcelayne is gathered in the sommer, and is of some preserued and kept in vineger for Salade, to be eaten at winter like Capers: for being so eaten, it doth heate and comfort the stomacke, causeth good appetite, or meate lust, and prouoketh vrine.

[ N] If this Purcelayne be Halimus, the roote thereof is good against crampes and drawing awry of sinewes, burstinges and gnawinges in the belly, to be taken in Meade the waight of a dramme. It also causeth Nurses to haue store of milke.

Of white Beets and Purslane. (Culpeper's School Of Physick, 1659)

WHite Beets are good for the Liver and for the Spleen, are abstercine. Pur∣slane doth abate the ardor of lasciviousness, and mittigates heat in the inward parts of the head and eyes: if preserved in brine, it heats and purges the stomach; it is cold in the third de∣gree, and moist in the second.

Kit-keys, Crucifex, Pease or Purslane pickled. (The Compleat Cook, 1664)

Take any of the aforesaid, and lay them in as much Wine as Water, with a little Salt, then boil them after this, put them in∣to a Pot, and cover them with Vinegar made of White wine.

Purslain pickled. (The English And French Cook, 1674)

Gather them at their full growth, but not too old, parboil them and keep them in
White wine Vinegar and Sugar.

To pickle Pursla•e to keep all the year. (The Cook's Guide, 1664)

TAke the biggest stalks picked clean, the• strew bay-salt first into your pot, and then th• stalks of Purslane, and then salt again, so do ti•l your pot be full, then tye it up close and keep it cool.

Interpreted Recipe (adapted from modern recipe)

Purslane
1 cup Vinegar (apple cider preferred)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. sugar or honey
Modern recipes add 1 onion sliced, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. each cumin, coriander and mustard seeds, and three whole allspice.
Use only the thickest part of the purslane stems- Wash the purslane. Pinch off the clusters of leaves and any stems that are too skinny to pickle (these are great added to soup as a nautral thickener or on salad).
Chop the thicker purslane stems into pieces approximately 1 1/2-2 inches long.
Combine the vinegar, water, sugar or honey, salt and spices in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to release the flavors of the spices.
If you are following the modern version, layer purslane and onions and brine in jars, until you are unable to add more. Pour the hot brine over the purslane stems. The liquid should completely cover them, but still, have at least 1/2 an inch of space between the surface of the brine and the rims of the jars.
Screw on the lids, hot water bath them. Let sit at least a week, but the longer the better.

Sources

Dodoens 1517-1585., R., 2020. A Nievve Herball, Or Historie Of Plantes Wherin Is Contayned The Vvhole Discourse And Perfect Description Of All Sortes Of Herbes And Plantes: Their Diuers [And] Sundry Kindes: Their Straunge Figures, Fashions, And Shapes: Their Names, Natures, Operations, And Vertues: And That Not Onely Of Those Whiche Are Here Growyng In This Our Countrie Of Englande, But Of All Others Also Of Forrayne Realmes, Commonly Vsed In Physicke. First Set Foorth In The Doutche Or Almaigne Tongue, By That Learned D. Rembert Dodoens, Physition To The Emperour: And Nowe First Translated Out Of French Into English, By Henry Lyte Esquyer.. [online] Available at: <http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A20579.0001.001> [Accessed 4 August 2020].

Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. 2011. The Grete Herball Whiche Geueth Parfyt Knowlege And Vnderstandyng Of All Maner Of Herbes [And] There Gracyous Vertues Whiche God Hath Ordeyned For Our Prosperous Welfare And Helth, For They Hele [And] Cure All Maner Of Dyseases And Sekenesses That Fall Or Mysfortune To All Maner Of Creatoures Of God Created, Practysed By Many Expert And Wyse Maysters, As Auicenna [And] Other. [Et]C. Also It Geueth Full Parfyte Vnderstandynge Of The Booke Lately Prentyd By Me (Peter Treueris) Named The Noble Experiens Of The Vertuous Handwarke Of Surgery.. [online] Available at: <http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A03048.0001.001> [Accessed 4 August 2020].

Quod.lib.umich.edu. 2020. Culpeper's School Of Physick, Or, The Experimental Practice Of The Whole Art Wherein Are Contained All Inward Diseases From The Head To The Foot, With Their Proper And Effectuall Cures, Such Diet Set Down As Ought To Be Observed In Sickness Or In Health : With Other Safe Wayes For Preserving Of Life ... / By Nich. Culpeper ... ; The Narrative Of The Authors Life Is Prefixed, With His Nativity Calculated, Together With The Testimony Of His Late Wife, Mrs Alice Culpeper, And Others.. [online] Available at: <https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A35394.0001.001/1:37?rgn=div1;submit=Go;subview=detail;type=simple;view=fulltext;q1=purslane> [Accessed 4 August 2020].

Quod.lib.umich.edu. 2020. The Compleat Cook: Or, The Whole Art Of Cookery Describing The Best And Newest Ways Of Ordering And Dressing All Sorts Of Flesh, Fish, And Fowl, Whether Boiled, Baked, Stewed, Roasted, Broiled, Frigacied, Fryed, Souc'd, Marrinated, Or Pickled; With Their Proper Sauces And Garnishes. Together Vvith All Manner Of The Most Approved Soops And Potages Used, Either In England Or France. By T.P. J.P. R.C. N.B. And Several Other Approved Cooks Of London And Westminster.. [online] Available at: <https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A80288.0001.001/1:3?rgn=div1;submit=Go;subview=detail;type=simple;view=fulltext;q1=Purslane> [Accessed 4 August 2020].

Quod.lib.umich.edu. 2020. The English And French Cook Describing The Best And Newest Ways Of Ordering And Dressing All Sorts Of Flesh, Fish And Fowl, Whether Boiled, Baked, Stewed, Roasted, Broiled, Frigassied, Fryed, Souc'd, Marrinated, Or Pickled; With Their Proper Sauces And Garnishes: Together With All Manner Of The Most Approved Soops And Potages Used, Either In England Or France. By T. P. J. P. R. C. N. B. And Several Other Approved Cooks Of London And Westminster.. [online] Available at: <https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A53974.0001.001/1:3.11.35?c=eebo;c=eebo2;g=eebogroup;rgn=div3;view=fulltext;xc=1;q1=cookbook> [Accessed 4 August 2020].

Quod.lib.umich.edu. 2020. The Cook's Guide: Or, Rare Receipts For Cookery Published And Set Forth Particularly For Ladies And Gentlwomen; Being Very Beneficial For All Those That Desire The True Way Of Dressing Of All Sorts Of Flesh, Fowles, And Fish; The Best Directions For All Manner Of Kickshaws, And The Most Ho-Good Sawces: Whereby Noble Persons And Others In Their Hospitalities May Be Gratified In Their Gusto's. Never Before Printed. By Hannah Wolley.. [online] Available at: <https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A66843.0001.001/1:6.2?g=eebogroup;rgn=div2;submit=Go;subview=detail;type=simple;view=fulltext;xc=1;q1=purslane> [Accessed 4 August 2020].

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.

Kitchen Adventures – Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 (Okashi お菓子 (Sweets))

Jasmine Green Tea Ice cream on Agar Agar, surrounded by Red Bean Paste with Black Sugar Syrup

Imagine my surprise when I discovered I didn't publish the final tray of the feast! Here are the final recipes. This course is a selection of summery dishes called Anmitsu (あんみつ). This dish included a selection of fruits, agar agar jelly, green tea with jasmine ice cream, mochi and red bean paste drizzled with a sweet sugar syrup. This was my wink and nod to tIemitsu’s banquet ended which ended with a desert course of sweets: “Ice rice-cakes” (kōri mochi) ,tangerines, and persimmons on a branch.”

Shiratama Dango 白玉だんご

NOTE: Homemade mochi can be frozen for later use. A few tricks preserve the soft texture of fresh mochi when you freeze it. Roll prepared mochi pieces in potato starch, available in the baking aisle at grocery stores, to keep them soft and prevent them from sticking together when you freeze them in a large batch.

Wrap each individual piece of mochi in clear plastic wrap before you place it in the freezer to keep it from drying out. Store the individually wrapped pieces in a large plastic freezer storage bag or airtight container.

1 ⅔ cups glutinous rice flour
¾ to 1 cup water
2 ½ tbsp. Sugar

Combine rice flour, sugar and water in a large bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula until well combined. Add water and use your hand to form the dough into a ball. Roll into a log and pinch off dough from the log and roll each one into a ¾-inch (2 cm) ball and then flatten it into a thick disc, about a scant ½ inch thick.. 

Use your index finger to make an indentation in the center (this will help cook faster and less doughy in texture after cooking). Cook the shiratama dango in boiling water, about 2 minutes. When shiratama dango starts to float, pick them up and soak in ice water to let them cool.

Shiratama dango are soft and chewy within 30 minutes after they are made. If you are not using them right away, keep them in water and store in the refrigerator. Shiratama dango will become hard, so you need to re-cook them in boiling water to soften before serving.

Red bean paste 小豆ペースト

NOTE: can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks

1 cup dried red beans
3- 4 cups water, divided, or as needed
2 tbsp butter if smoother paste is needed
1 1/2 cups white sugar

Directions

Place beans in a saucepan and cover with 2 cups water; bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and discard water.

Place drained beans in a clean saucepan and cover with 2 to 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer, adding more water as needed, until beans are soft and can be crushed between your fingers, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain beans and discard water.

Stir beans and sugar together in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and beans form a loose, shiny paste, about 10 minutes.

Immediately transfer the paste to a container to cool. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Kuromitsu 黒光

NOTE: Can be stored in an airtight jar/bottle. Keep in the refrigerator up to a week. Black sugar (黒糖) can be purchased in Japanese grocery stores; however, if you cannot find it, you can substitute with Muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar. This kuromitsu is very rich. You can omit or reduce the amount of granulated sugar if you like.

Ingredients For 1 cup

1 cup Kurozato or Dark Muscovado Sugar substitute: unrefined brown sugar
1/2 cup water (120 ml)

Directions

Break brown sugar into pieces if it is a block. Mix sugar and water in a small pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once boiled, reduce the heat to low. Stir well to dissolve sugar completely, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the mixture gets thick.

Note to make lighter: Sub Chuzarato or Coarse Demerara Sugar substitute: regular granulated sugar for half of the brown sugar.

Note: 1 pound of sugar is a little over 2 cups 

No Churn Ice Cream Green Tea w/Jasmine Ice Cream ジャスミンアイスクリームと緑茶

1 pint heavy whipping cream (about 2⅓ cups)
3 teabags of jasmine green tea
1 cup condensed milk

In a small pot, add ⅔ cups heavy whipping cream and 3 teabags over low to medium heat. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 5-8 minutes to allow the flavor to infuse into the cream.

Remove the pot from heat and allow the jasmine green tea and heavy whipping cream mixture to cool to room temperature, about 6-8 minutes. 

While the jasmine green tea mixture is cooling, add the rest of the heavy whipping cream (1⅔ cups) into a mixing bowl with the condensed milk. Mix well.

If you have a mixer, use it to mix the ingredients until stiff peaks form. If you don’t have a mix, stir by hand using a whisk, spoon, or chopsticks. If you use this method, stiff peaks won’t form. Just mix for about 5 minutes until bubbles have formed on the edges. Now transfer to a container, plastic or baking pan. And cover with plastic wrap. Then freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Agar Agar jelly (kanten)寒天

Agar or agar agar is a white translucent jelly made of seaweed, which is suitable for vegetarian/vegan diet

2 tsp powdered kanten (agar agar) (2 tsp= 4 g) (or 1 agar/kanten stick)
2 cups water (2 cups = 500 ml)
2 Tbsp sugar (or more, optional)

Add water and agar powder in a small saucepan. Whisk the mixture together and bring it to a hard boil on medium-high heat, being careful not to let the liquid boil over. After the mixture has boiled and agar powder is dissolved, add sugar and cook on low heat for 2 minutes. If you add sugar before boiling, agar powder may not be dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the stove and pour the mixture into an 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm) baking dish. Allow it to cool and let the agar set in the refrigerator (about 20 minutes). Cut into ½” (1.5 cm) cubes and they are ready to serve. Keep the jelly in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

If you want to use gelatin: 1 tsp. agar/kanten powder = 1 tsp. powder gelatin

Persimmons 柿 and   Tangerines みかん

Kitchen Adventures – Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 (Kabocha no Nimonao かぼちゃの煮物 (simmered squash), Shōga pōku-maki nasu 茄子の肉巻き生姜焼き - (Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant), Kakuni 角煮 (braised pork belly))

Kabocha no Nimonao かぼちゃの煮物 (simmered squash) 
Shōga pōku-maki nasu  茄子の肉巻き生姜焼き - (Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant) 
Kakuni   角煮 (braised pork belly)

The third tray of items that were offered at the Crown Tournament feast were symbolic and did not follow the items that had been served to Iemetsu.  Two kinds of pork were served, one dish, a braised pork belly with quail eggs, the other eggplant stuffed pork roles with miso.  The vegetable is simmered kabocha squash. This series of dishes were put together as plausibilities, containing ingredients that would have been readily available in the time period.

During the Nara period (710-784), the primary religion in Japan was Budhism which eschewed the eating of meat. It was believed that meat contaminated the body. Individuals who ate meat were not allowed to worship at shrines or temple. Edicts were issued by the Emperor Temmu in regards to the way animals could be hunted or slaughtered. Gradually, the domestication of animals, such as pigs, dissappeared. However, it was not unusual for wild boar to be eaten along with venison during this period.

During the Segonku period, pigs were considered a valuable source of food. Herds of pigs would accompany troops on their campaigns as "living rations".  It was believed that eating of pork was part of the reason the Satsuma warriors were such fiercesome fighters.  It was believed that eating pork bestowed strength and stamina.

Kabocha no Nimonao かぼちゃの煮物 (simmered squash)
1/2 kabocha squash
1 inch ginger (opt)

1 ¾ cups water or 1 1 3/4 cups dashi
6 grams bonito flakes

1 ounce kombu (opt)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp sake
2 tsp soy sauce
pinch salt (kosher or sea salt; use half if using table salt)

In a small pot, boil 1 ¾ cups water. Once boiling, add bonito flakes & kombu, turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Strain through a sieve and allow to cool.  Cut the kabocha into wedges, and then into 2” pieces. Kabocha skin is edible so you can leave it on.  

Please note: You can cut the squash in half, remove pith and seeds and microwave for approximately 2 minutes to make it easier to cut the squash into pieces. 

Place the kabocha pieces, skin side down, in a single layer on a bakinc sheet. Add dashi, sake and sugar, soy sauce and salt. If the liquid does not cover 3/4 of kabocha, you can add a little bit of water.

Normally you would simmer the squash by placing in a pot, bringing to a boil and then lowering it to s aimmer until the kabocha is tender.  However, if cooking in bulk, cover a baking dishe with foil and bake in an oven at 400 degrees for approximately twenty minutes.  Remove from the heat and let kabocha sit covered until cool, about 30 minutes. You can serve at room temperature or reheat before serving.

Optional Garnish:  Cut the ginger into rectangular piece (so each strips will be the same length). Cut into thin slabs and then thin julienne strips. Soak in cold water for 1 minute and and drain, sprinkle over kabocha before serving. 

Kakuni - Braised Pork Belly 角煮

1 lb pork belly (Ask the meat store to cut it into 2" pieces for you)

2 inch ginger
1 Japanese long green onion (can substitute spring onions)
3 large eggs (I used canned quail eggs)
2½ cupdashi
4 Tbsp sake
3 Tbsp mirin
4 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 slices ginger
1 dried red chili pepper
Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice)

If you can, request that the pork belly be cut into 2" pieces for you.  If not, cut into 2 inch pieces. Place the pork belly fat side down into a cool skillet and slowly heat it to high.  Cook your meat until it is nicely browned on all sides.  The fat should render out as the meat heats up slowly, otherwise, add a bit of cooking oil to your skillet. Take the belly out of the skillet when browned and let oil drain from it.  

Slice the ginger and cut green part of Tokyo Negi into 2 inch pieces.  In a large pot, put the browned pork belly, green part of Tokyo Negi, half of sliced ginger and cover the meat with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered 2-3 hours keepign an eye on the water to make sure it does not run low.  

 

If not using canned eggs (like I did), you will want to hard boil your eggs and remove the shells while the meat is cooking.  After meat has cooked for three hours drain it and be sure to remove excess oil from it by wiping it with a paper towel. 

Please note: I left the meat to cool overnight and removed the fat cap in the morning.  I saved the pork stock and froze it for later.  I saved the fat cap and use it to fry with. 

In a large pot, put the pork belly, dashi stock, sake, and mirin. Start cooking on medium high heat. Add sugar, soy sauce, the rest of ginger slices, and the red chili pepper and bring to boil, then lower the heat to simmer.  After cooking for 30 minutes, add the hard boiled eggs. 

Simmer for another 30 minutes stirring occasionally.  Make sure you have enough liquid so they won’t get burnt. The sauce will reduce and form a "glaze" on the meat. Serve the pork belly and eggs with Shiraga Negi on top. Serve with Schichimi Togarashi. 

Shiraga Negi

1 Negi/Long Green Onion (leek or 2-3 green onions)

Shiraga Negi uses only the white part of the Negi (leek, green onions) cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces that are juilienned.  Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness and drain well.  Sprinkle over meat before serving. 

Shichimi Togarashi  

1/2 sheet nori

1 tbsp. dried orange peel

4 tsp. ground red pepper

2 tsp. sesame seed

1 tsp each ground ginger and poppy seeds

1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

Grind nori in the food processor until fine flakes form.  Mix with remaining spices until well blended.  Store in a tightly covered jar in a cool dry place. 

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

1 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1/4 cup gluten-free sweet white miso
2 tablespoons sugar
3 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
Vegetable oil, for frying
3 shiso leaves, cut into thin ribbons, for garnish (optional)
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Note: 1 American eggplant = 3 Japanese eggplants - Asian eggplants = Oriental eggplants, which include Japanese eggplants and Chinese eggplants, have thinner skins and a more delicate flavor than American eggplants, and not as many of the seeds that tend to make eggplants bitter. They're usually more slender than American eggplants, but they vary in size and shape. They range in color from lavender to pink, green, and white.

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the mirin and sake to a simmer, then cook for 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol. Stir in the miso and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.


Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, make shallow crisscross cuts into the cut sides of the eggplants. In a large pan, heat 1/8 inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches to avoid crowding, carefully lightly fry the eggplant for 90 seconds on each side, then drain on the paper towels.


Spread about 3/4 tablespoon sauce on the cut side of each eggplant and place it, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the eggplant until tender and the miso has lightly caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. Cut each half into thirds, sprinkle with shiso and sesame seeds, and serve.

Shōga pōku-maki nasu  茄子の肉巻き生姜焼き - (Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant)

Note: Shabu Shabu is ⅛” slices of any meat~8 slices per inch ~ 8 servings ~ 80 servings should theoretically be 10” of sliced pork loin. Typical pork loin roast is 2- 4 pounds of meat. 6 pounds of pork loin is approximately 18” in length. Theoretically a four pound pork loin cut into shabu shabu style slices *should* be more than enough for this feast, assuming 3” of pork loin is 1 pound.  Also 

Note: Pork loin does not slice thinner then 1/4"  without shredding even if frozen.  So the above notes ultimately proved to be unreliable.  I was able to pound out the pork loin and cut it into halve in order to create the pork rolls, and used 12 pounds of pork. 

½ lb thinly sliced pork loin
¼ onion
1 clove garlic
1 inch ginger (about 1 tsp.)
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 green onion/scallion 

2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp sake
1 tsp sugar

Grate onion, garlic and ginger into a small bowl.  Add soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar.  Season the meat with salt and pepper.  Wrap meat around the eggplant using a tooth pick if necessary.  

If doing a small batch you can cook the meat in oil that has been heated in a pan in a single layer until heated completely through and eggplant has been heated.  Then add the garlic, onion and ginger sauce, cook for another minute until thoroughly heated and serve. 

Because I was doing the pork in large batches, I placed it in a baking dishe, covered with the seasoning and cooked until done.  Can be served warm or room temperature.

How to thinly slice meat

High quality meat

A very sharp knife
A metal tray
A large freezer bag

Put meat in a single layer in a large freezer bag, squeeze air from the bag and close tightly. Put the meat on a metal tray and freeze for 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the size of the meat and how fatty the meat is. Meat is ready to slice when the knife goes through it smoothly.  Slice the meat against the grain using a gentle sawing motion. Sliced meat can be placed in plastic and frozen until needed. 

Further Reading: 

A Consideration of the Characteristics and Historical Background of Japanese Fusion Cuisine Created rough Cross-cultural Exchanges with the West in Port Cities

The Transition of the Japanese-Styel Diet

Tokugawa Society: Material Culture, Standard of Living, and Lifestyles

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 (Suppon Nabe - カメのスープ - (Turtle Soup))

 Suppon Nabe - カメのスープ -  (Turtle Soup)

I know it's been awhile since I posted anything to the blog. My mind has been on other things. However, I am back in the groove and will be completing the posts for Crown Tournament in the next few weeks.  

My wonderful assistant, Miguel Mono De Hierro, whom you may remember made the Himono (grilled dried fish) volunteered to make this luscious Suppon Nabe, a simple and super rich turtle soup most often served in the fall for this event. This was my personal favorite dish of the entire event and I am so grateful that he made it. The third tray of Iemetsu's banquet consisted of two showy dishes and two soups. In lieu of the Carp Soup (Funa no Shiru) Suppon Nabe was served.  To continue the fall dishes in this course, ginger pork rolls stuffed with miso eggplant and braised pork belly with quail eggs served as the main dishes. 

Fowl served with its wings (hamori) - spectacle dish

Carp soup - Funa no shiru 鮒の汁 (Crucian Carp Broth) Use a miso above the grade of nakamiso, and it is good to add dashi. Wrap the funa (crucian carp) in wakame (Undaria pinnatifida seaweed) or kajime ( Ecklonia cava (species of brown alga)) and simmer it. When the umami flavor is light, add ground katsuo (bonito). However you do it, it is good to bring the miso to the start of a boil, like dashi. Boil it well and pour in salted sake. Sanshô powder is used as a suikuchi.

Turbo (sazae) Sazae 栄螺 (Horned turban, Turbo cornutus) - It is good to make with such things as the insides of yonaki (spindle tailed snail), mirukui(Mirugai clam), torigai (Cockle), and tairagi(Fan mussel). Scald, and dress with wasabi and miso vinegar

[Spiny lobster] served in a boat shape (funamori) - spectacle dish

“Cloud hermit” (unzen)soup - Unzen (or unzenkan) was a Chinese dish adopted in the Muromachi period, a gelatin made from grated yam, sugar, and scrambled egg, which was steamed to form a cloud shape when floating in soup.

"The carp in the second soup was the favorite fish of the Muromachi period before sea bream surpassed it in popularity in the Edo period, when it still had its fans. Carp, wrote Hayashi Razan, was both a delicacy (bibutsu) and an auspicious delicacy nicknamed a “gift to Confucius” since the Chinese scholar received one when his son was born. However, two other dishes, which also date to Muromachi-period culinary customs, were especially objects of attention (Rath, Banquets)." 

Here is the instructions in his own words on how to make this soup. Here is a link to a video that shows the entire process--warning--it might be a bit graphic as it does show how to kill and clean the turtle.

How to cook most expensive turtle stew.

Suppon Nabe

Two medium soft shelled turtle or 1 large soft shelled turtle 

1 litre sake 

1 litre water 

1-1/12 cupsLight japense soy sauce 

2-3 leeks ( well roasted)

The hardest steps involve processing the turtle whole.

If using a fresh turtle, kill the animal by removing it's head and inserting the knife at the base of the neck on the dorsal side of the animal and drain the blood into sake to prevent clotting. Allow the blood to drain for several minutes. Ten remove the plastron ( underside of the turtle from shell), intestines and other internal organs. Cut out esophagus and remove from neck. Remove leg quarters from shell/ plasteron and cut off nails from each foot.  You then remove the soft portion of shell from bone. Finally you rinse all meat pieces and remove excess blood

Next boil a large pot of water and dump this over the turtle chunks, shell and plasteron.  Then you peel off the skin from all the legs, head, shell, and plasteron.

In a large pot mix 1litre of sake and 1 litre of water to a boil. Add all the turtle pieces to stew and add urikasi ( light ) soy sauce. Skim excess foam from the top of the soup. Allow this to boil until the meat is soft (45 mins to 1 hour), add extra soy sauce and sake as needed to restore fluid levels and to taste.

Once the turtle meat is tender remove the large meat from the stock. While meat is still hot remove any bones ( be sure to get as many of the metatarsels and digit bones as possible, then add the meat back to broth and add slow roasted leeks . Simmer to allow leeks and broth to meld

The collagen in this soup is amazing and the different meats of the turtle (supposedly there are seven) add an odd textual component while still giving lots of flavor. I allowed mine to simmer for extra time before serving to reduce an odd aroma and let the leeks percolate in the broth and take off some of the gameiness of the turtle.

For more information you may want to read Eric Rath's "Banquets Against Boredom:Towards Understanding(Samurai) Cuisine in EarlyModern Japan."

Kitchen Adventures – Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 (Kuri Gohan 栗ご飯 (Chestnut Rice) & Kinoko no sūpu きのこのスープ Clear Mushroom Soup)

Kuri Gohan  栗ご飯 (Chestnut Rice)
Picture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Many of the dishes that were served in the third course of the Crown tournament feast are considered "Autumn" foods.  Kuri Gohan is a typical fall dish comprised of two of the staple foods of Japanese cooking; chestnuts and Rice. It is believed that Japanese Chestnuts (Kuri) were cultivated in Japan before rice, with evidence of the use of chestnuts as early as 10,000-200 BCE.  There is archeological evidence of charred chestnuts found at Jomon Period settlements.  

Chestnuts are symbolic of success and hard times.  It was the symbolism of this dish that made it imperative to include it in the Crown Tourney feast. This was a very easy dish to put together and quite beautiful to look at. 

Recipe 

2 cups Japanese short grained rice
1 Tbsp mirin
1 tsp salt  as needed
20-25 chestnuts chopped coarsely (Note: If you are using raw chestnuts you will need to prepare them prior to adding to the rice.  I used precooked and peeled chestnuts purchased from a Japanese grocery)
Black sesame seeds to garnish

The rice was prepared in the instant pot using a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part rice, set on the rice setting for 10 minutes.  The rice was pre-soaked in warmed water for approximately 20 minutes, rinsed and then placed in the instant pot with the additional water. 

After cooking the rice was mixed with mirin and chestnuts, and garnished with the black sesame seeds. 

 Kinoko no sūpu きのこのスープ Clear Mushroom Soup
Picture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Mushrooms are another symbolic food representing longevity. Shiitake mushrooms are the second most widely cultivated mushroom in the world. The earliest records of the cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms can be traced to 1209 Records of Longquan County by He Zhan. The techniques for cultivating the mushrooms were introduce in Japan from the Chinese sometime between 1500 and 1600 AD. This soup took the place of the Carp soup - Funa no shiru 鮒の汁 (Crucian Carp Broth) that was served to Iemitsu.

The third tray of Iemitsu's banquet consisted of showy foods that were most likely meant to be seen instead of eaten including Hamori and a funamori. 

• Fowl served with its wings (hamori) - spectacle dish
• Carp soup - Funa no shiru 鮒の汁 (Crucian Carp Broth) Use a miso above the grade of nakamiso, and it is good to add dashi. Wrap the funa (crucian carp) in wakame (Undaria pinnatifida seaweed) or kajime ( Ecklonia cava (species of brown alga)) and simmer it. When the umami flavor is light, add ground katsuo (bonito). However you do it, it is good to bring the miso to the start of a boil, like dashi. Boil it well and pour in salted sake.  Sanshô powder is used as a suikuchi.
• Turbo (sazae) Sazae 栄螺 (Horned turban, Turbo cornutus) - It is good to make with such things as the insides of yonaki (spindle tailed snail), mirukui (Mirugai clam), torigai (Cockle), and tairagi(Fan mussel). Scald, and dress with wasabi and miso vinegar
• [Spiny lobster] served in a boat shape (funamori) - spectacle dish
• “Cloud hermit” (unzen)soup

Eric Rath in his "Banquets Against Boredom:Towards Understanding(Samurai) Cuisine in EarlyModern Japan", states "Unzen (or unzenkan) was a Chinese dish adopted in the Muromachi period, a gelatin made from grated yam, sugar, and scrambled egg, which was steamed to form a cloud shape when floating in soup."

He goes on to further explain that "the carp in the second soup was the favorite fish of the Muromachi period before sea bream surpassed it in popularity in the Edo period, when it still had its fans. Carp, wrote Hayashi Razan, was both a delicacy (bibutsu) and an auspicious delicacy nicknamed a “gift to Confucius” since the Chinese scholar received one when his son was born. However, two other dishes, which also date to Muromachi-period culinary customs, were especially objects of attention."

Additionally, he explains that "Fowl served with its wings hamori style featured a duck or quail cooked with its feathered wings reattached and positioned so that the bird looked like it might fly away. Spiny lobster in the shape of a boat featured a large crustacean whose legs, feelers, and body had been contorted to give the appearance of a sailing ship. Both dishes were served with additional decorations made from paper and flowers. Neither of these dishes was meant to be eaten; instead they were spectacle pieces meant to show off the cook’s skills and added dignity to the occasion. The equivalent of food sculptures, these dishes provided an important artistic dimension to the meal, crucial to the designation of a cuisine as distinct from ordinary foods and mundane ways of cooking and eating." 

Shiitake Dashi 

2 cups water

2 -3 dried shiitake mushrooms
3-in.-long piece kombu (dried edible kelp) 

1/3 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce

Place mushrooms, kombu, and 2 cups water into a medium pot. Cover and chill overnight. Set pot over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. When small bubbles form along sides and bottom of pot, but before it actually begins to simmer, remove  mushrooms and kombu and strain the stock. Prior to serving heat broth and add mirin and soy sauce. 

Note: It is recommended to always use cold water to soak your shiitake mushrooms.  The stock, once drained can be used in soups, sauces etc.  It can be stored up to two days prior to usage.

To Make Soup

Add shiitake mushrooms to heated broth.  Garnish as desired with green onions.  

Note:  The soup was made with a mixture of dried shiitake, baby bella, oyster and button mushrooms. 

Wakasagi Nanbanzuke – Smelt in the Southern Barbarian Style (Crown Tournament Feast 2019)

Wakasagi Nanbanzuke
南蛮漬け（ワカサギ）
“Smelt in the Southern Barbarian Style”
Photo: Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Update – August 19, 2025: Refreshed with additional historical context, clearer cooking notes, dietary tips, and FAQs.

Nanban—“southern barbarian”—was the Japanese word for the Portuguese who arrived in 1543. For nearly a century their foodways influenced Japan before foreign ships were banned in 1639. Wakasagi Nanbanzuke is one of those cultural crossroads. At its heart, it’s fried fish set into a vinegar marinade with onions and carrots—clearly adapted from Portuguese escabeche. Japanese cooks gave it a local identity, pairing it with river smelt, mackerel, or sardines and balancing the sharpness with kombu and soy. The result is something unmistakably Japanese, yet born out of that first century of European contact. 

I must admit, when I added this to the Crown Tournament 2019 feast, I was skeptical. Would people find the vinegar too assertive? Would tiny smelt be more fuss than fun? As it turned out, the dish never made its way back to the kitchen—platters came back empty, and more than one diner asked me afterward for the recipe. Smelt really is a perfect one- or two-bite fish, sturdy enough to stand up to the brine and light enough to keep people coming back for more.

Kitchen Adventures – Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 (Sumashi-jiru すまし汁 (Clam Soup) & Yuzuke ゆずけ (hot water over rice))

Sumashi-jiru すまし汁 (Clam Soup)

Picture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

According to the Ryōri Monogatari,“Suimono” refers to a clear (or relatively clear) broth. The bowls should obtain few ingredients and should not feel crowded. In keeping with the tradition of one soup, and "X" number of sides, the soup that was provided in the second round was a suimono that would normally contain oysters, but, clams were substituted via cook's prerogative because the cook (me) does not care for the taste of oysters. Perhaps it has something to do with being land locked? Oysters come canned or frozen, but not exactly fresh?

Kaki かき (Oysters) - Put in salt, leave a good amount, and put in the oysters. When it steams, season to taste. If there is too little broth, then water or dashi can be put in. It can also be done without putting in the salt. Adding sakeshio is good.

Note: Clams substituted for Oysters

Interpreted recipe:

1 lb.clams (live, in shell, about 12 to 16)
5 cups water
Salt to taste
To garnish: lemon peel /or  mitsuba  (wild Japanese parsley)

Soak clams in salted water overnight, or at least for several hours. Heat basic clear soup to boil, drop in clams. After shells open up, place in a small soup bowl. Strain soup stock. Bring stock to a boil, and garnish with strips of mitsuba.

Note: The Japanese store where I purchased most of my items had frozen clams in the shell in 2 pound packages.  I used these for the feast. 

DASHI だし (BASIC STOCK) Chip katsuo into good size pieces, and when you have 1 shō worth, add 1 shō 5 gō of water and simmer. Sip to test and should remove the katsuo when it matches your taste. Too sweet is no good. The dashi may be boiled a second time and used.

Note: In Japanese cooking there are five different types of dashi:

Kombu Dashi - made from dried kelp (kombu)

Katsuo Dashi - made with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Iriko Dashi - made from iriko (dried anchovies), or niboshi (dried sardines)

Shiitake Dashi - made from shiitake mushrooms that have been dried

Awase Dashi - made from a combination of any of the above.

Many of the dishes I prepared used Awase Dashi as the stock, either a mixture of kimbu and katsuo or kombu and shiitake. The instructions for the dashi used for this dish can be found here.

Yuzuke ゆずけ (hot water over rice)
Garnished with Furikake and UmeboshiPicture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Yuzuke ゆずけ (hot water over rice)

Eric Rath advises that a "typical formula for describing the organization of trays and dishes at honzen banquets was “seven, five, three”. This indicated three trays each with a soup, and seven, five, and three side dishes on them respectively. This was the format of the banquet for Iemitsu in 1630, and one that was typical service for the shogun in the Edo period." It is believed that the discovery of "yuzuke" was an accident, attributed to the third Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408)  when he became drunk at a party, poured hot water on his rice, and ate it.

He further explains:

"Three trays was a typical formulation for shoguns, but the number of trays and the number of dishes on them varied for guests of other rank. Large banquets in the Muromachi period might have up to thirty-two side dishes, although some of these dishes, like a few described below, were decorative and not meant to be consumed.In the Edo period, most samurai including daimyo were, like commoners, limited by sumptuary legislation to just two trays of food at banquets, albeit daimyo that held their own provinces (kunimochi) were allowed seven side dishes, but commoners and hatamoto could only have five side dishes."

One of the more historically interesting dishes that was served at the feast was Yuzuke. Introduced in the Heian era, "yuzuke",  is a bowl of rice and hot water poured on top. It became f a formal banquet dish during the Muromachi era.  It is speculated that it may be a precursor to ochazuke. The "Ryori Monogatari (Story of the meals)" a recipe similar to ochazuke which combies rice, chestnuts, or sweet potato with tea. I include the information from the Ryori Mongatari for interest, but it was NOT served at feast.

NARA CHA 奈良茶 (NARA TEA) - First, roast the tea, put it in a bag, and boil just the tea and azuki. Next, put in beans and rice, and roast half of them. Make sure to cut the beans open and discard the shell. Alternatively, add such things as sasage, kuwai, or roasted chestnuts. Season with sanshō powder and salt. Whatever you season with is very important.

The Yuzuke that was served at feast consisted of rice with hot water poured over it and was garnished with umeboshi and furikake. It was visually stunning and so simple to put together.