Random question...

Did they have ginger in Wales/England in Richard's time?


Thanks,
Rogue


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com

trying this response a second time.
if they can grow ginger in the u.k. now, then it is possible ginger was available to the wealthy in richard's era.

genghis khaan's empire was from china to persia in the early 1200's. europeans intermingled in the khaan's empire. khaan provided protection for caravans from china, ergo this spicy root would have made the journey to the middle east.

what would need to be determined if it was as a dried root, or as possibly viable plant.

merchant adventurers and crusaders could have brought it back to western europe along with silks and other exotic spices, such as pepper and cinnamon.

roslyn


Rogue <roguefem@...> wrote:

Did they have ginger in Wales/England in Richard's time?

Thanks,
Rogue

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com

--- In , fayre rose
<fayreroze@...> wrote:
>
> trying this response a second time.
> if they can grow ginger in the u.k. now, then it is possible
ginger was available to the wealthy in richard's era.
>
> genghis khaan's empire was from china to persia in the early
1200's. europeans intermingled in the khaan's empire. khaan provided
protection for caravans from china, ergo this spicy root would have
made the journey to the middle east.
>
> what would need to be determined if it was as a dried root, or as
possibly viable plant.
>
> merchant adventurers and crusaders could have brought it back to
western europe along with silks and other exotic spices, such as
pepper and cinnamon.
>
> roslyn
>
>
> Rogue <roguefem@...> wrote:
>
> Did they have ginger in Wales/England in Richard's time?





As fayrerose said, it would seem so. A quick superficial wet search
provided many articles. Here's one:

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginger-000246.htm

Katy

You might also check medieval herbals for medicinal uses of ginger as
well as uses as a culinary spice.

Here is some info from
http://www.prairienet.org/herbsociety/hotm/ginger.html

Ginger's exact origins are unknown, but it is native to the hot
tropical jungles of Southeast Asia. Ginger was mentioned in 500 BC in
the writing of the philosopher Confucius. Phoenician and Arab traders
first introduced ginger from Southeast Asia to Greece and Rome. It
was used in the Middle East and southern Europe. Later, in the 13th
century, the Arabs introduced it to East Africa and the Portuguese
introduced it to West Africa. The Spanish took it to the West Indies,
especially Jamaica. In Roman times, ginger was a very expensive com-
modity (about fifteen times more expensive than black pepper). In
medieval and Tudor England, ginger was very popular as a medicinal
and culinary spice. In Renaissance England, because ginger powder was
so popular, it competed with salt and pepper on the tables of the
wealthy—adding ginger powder helped offset the taste of spoiled meat!

In medieval and Tudor times, ginger was thought to be a preventative
against the plague and was included in pomanders and potpourris to
dispel odors. Gingerbread was stamped out with molds and sold at
fairs. In the late sixteenth century, Queen Elizabeth I employed a
full-time gingerbread baker. Gingerbread men, called "gingerbread
husbands", were popular at the time. Slabs of gingerbread were even
gilded with gold. Honey was originally used to sweeten the dough;
later, sugar and molasses were introduced. During the American
Revolution, ginger was included in the rations, and crystallized
ginger was nibbled at the end of a meal since it was considered to
help digestion. Colonial Americans drank ginger tea as well as plenty
of ginger beer to warm the body.



--- In , "Rogue" <roguefem@...>
wrote:
>
>
> Did they have ginger in Wales/England in Richard's time?
>
>
> Thanks,
> Rogue
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com
>