Exploring the linguistic influences on medieval English cuisine Medieval English recipe names are frequently odd. And sometimes, as a translator, I’m led down a dodgy etymological path by a name that looks like a mangled concoction of Middle English and Old French or Anglo-Norman, only for it to turn out to be something quite different.Continue reading “Language of Cookery 3: 14th-century English Pappardelle?”
Category Archives: Language of cookery
Language of Cookery 2: Ground beans?
In the second of my short language notes I take a look at a culinary essential of Richard II’s cookery book For to make grounden benes. Take benes & drye hem in an ovene & hulle hem wel and wyndowe out the hulkes & waysche hem clene & do hem to seeþ in god brothContinue reading “Language of Cookery 2: Ground beans?”
Language of cookery 1: shifting meanings
As I work my way through translating the recipes of Forme of Cury, Richard II’s official cookery book, I sometimes come across words that have shifted in meaning from how they were originally used. In this first of a series of ‘Language of cookery’ notes, I take a look at one of these words: smiten.Continue reading “Language of cookery 1: shifting meanings”
MONK'S MODERN MEDIEVAL CUISINE 