Cooking Techniques, Cooking Utensils & Smoking Food?

[Andrea L Redden]

Hello All!

I’m posting this to both the Early Medieval and General Chat forums for the widest response.

What evidence is left for cooking techniques & utensils from Ireland (possibly Wales, Scotland and England as well) before the Normans, i.e. Manuscript marginal illustrations, written references from pre-Norman copies of Annals and other books, surviving utensils & cookingware? Not interested in fulachta fiadha.

I’m after both native Irish stuff and Viking. Is there evidence, for example, for ovens?

Also, are here any references to smoking or smoked food?

Any references appreciated.

Thanks,

Andrea Willett
N.V.G. Dubh-linn

[Dave Mooney]

Early Irish Farming refers to the law tracts as listing bread making equipment such as kneading-trough (losat), kneading-slab (lecc), griddle (lann) and griddle-turner (lainnéne). There is plenty on milk, bread making and other cooking including spit and roasting in Early Irish Farming. Gives methods and measurements also.

I seem to recall spoons and other cooking stuff in the Viking display in the National Museum. There are examples of bronze cauldrons and buckets but they would be Bronze and Iron age.

As for Fulacht Fia, I think I saw a drawing of a site last week had a dry cooking pit (don't know how the decided it was used dry as even to use it mostly dry for to steam it would still have burnt rock in the bottom) and a boxy oven like item. Others may have something to add on that.

I was always mad to build one of those Viking stone ovens but I'm told there was no evidence for them in Ireland.

[Andrea L Redden]

Early Irish Farming.....

Just ordered a copy on Amazon. They had it for GBP16.00 instead of Oxbow's GBP50.00 and they don't have it in stock at the moment. Which is good 'cause I don't have any money at the moment either.

Thanks,

Andrea

PS What Viking stone ovens?

[Dave Mooney]

That's a very good price. Think we paid €22 for our copy.

Found it! (nearly got trojaned in the process -really should wait for the AVG to pre-scan the site before clicking on a link!!) It, the oven not the trojan, was on a Regia Anglorum site http://www.regia.org/life/ovens.htm
Ok, stone and clay oven...

Glad you made me look know as they have a page on glass firing, something else I want to try

[vlasta]

That may be interesting for you: an article by Regina Sexton.

[Andrea L Redden]

That may be interesting for you: an article by Regina Sexton.

Thanks Vlasta. BUGGER! Now I've got to find money for that one too.

Andrea the Bookaholic

[oleg]

Thanks Dorota.
I wanted to look inside of the book first time I saw it, but was unable to do that. Now it's more clear. We'll buy it one day.

[wiblick]

The Munster Arcaheology book is available direclty from the publishers - at least I've placed an order for one today, will let you know if there are any problems. Anyway it's €29 as opposed to the £72.83+ from Amazon sellers.

http://www.corkuniversitypress.com/epag ... storefront

I entered the long ISBN 978-1859181072

Postage will probably be a bit steep though...

[wiblick]

The Munster book is out of print.... had a call from the publishers.

Websites... and their out of date listings, just drives me crazy. I wouldn't mind but they have an OUT OF PRINT section....

[Dave Mooney]

Clare Library have 4 copies on there system. Do you need to own it?