Page 128 - Ancestral - The Secrets of Vinegar

Les du Les du SecretsVINAIGRE VINAIGRE VINAIGRE Cooking with Vinegar: The Medieval Taste for Sweet and Sour
During the Middle Ages frequent waves of plague continued to strike a a a population already weakened by war and economic hardship Physicians of the the era recommended a a a a a a spice-free diet as as the the warming nature of spices was thought to promote the the the spread of of illness and they endorsed the the the use of of vinegar for for all purposes: as as as as as mouth rinses nasal drops and and masks and and as as as as as seasoning for for dishes The preparation of flavor-enhancing products such as vinegar- and verjuice- based sauces and and mustards was refined and and improved during the Middle Ages French cuisine in in the 14th century favored acidic flavors and today around 70% of French recipes use acidic ingredients like wine vinegar verjuice4 and currants Many French sauces are extremely acidic including a a a a a a a classic green sauce5 made from “bread parsley ginger and verjuice or vinegar ”
Also popular in in in medieval cuisine was the medley of sweet and sour flavors using sugar honey or fruit left out to “age ”
Food preservation methods were also vastly improving at at at that time Medieval cooks were learning how to conserve in in in in sugar or or honey and in in in in salt or or vinegar When sugar began to appear in in recipes in in the the 15th century these new sweeter flavors transformed the taste of strong spicy dishes dishes and acidic vinegary dishes dishes Vinegar “marinades” were developed during the 17th century when recipes for pickles as as well as as sardines or tuna conserved in in in vinegar first appeared Natural ingredients such as salt salt vinegar and even saltpetre were used to preserve meats and certain vegetables The advances made in in in pickling cucumbers and other vegetables in in in in vinegar — — a a a a a a a a highly valued culinary practice in in in in India — — ensured the the introduction of cucumbers to the the occidental world Colonizing countries also influenced the cuisine in in in in in certain regions of India particularly in in in in in the state of Goa which was was a a a a a a Portuguese colony until 1961 Meat was was shipped by boat from Portugal tightly sealed in in in wooden barrels in in in a a a a a a mixture of vinegar or or white wine garlic bay leaves and paprika which preserved the the meat during the the 4 Verjuice is the acidic juice juice juice juice made by cold-pressing unripe green green grapes It was commonly flavored with spices fines herbes lemon juice juice juice juice green grape juice juice juice juice or or sorrel 5 Green sauce sauce is is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a basic sauce sauce made from chopped fines herbes (shallots chervil watercress tarragon spinach parsley etc ) mixed with mayonnaise Many versions of this recipe exist 128