Experiment 4 – Medieval Ginger Bread

I have a confession to make. I am a medievalist. It is true. Is that shaming? I don’t know. I know I don’t share the rest of the world’s enthusiasm for the War, or care about the Victorians much, the Tudors are frankly dull and as for the ancient world I find it hard to get excited about the Greeks, Romans or Egyptians. Each to their own, right? Well the reason why I started this venture was to try recipes from all throughout history so fear not if you find knights in shining armour a bit of a bore but the recipes I look forward to trying the most as those from the centuries circa 10 to 15.

And this is one such recipe. Medieval Ginger Bread. I came across these recipes on Gode Cookery and was intrigued and amused by the Ginger Bread recipe found in William Edward Mead’s The English Medieval Feast:

“Take a quart of honey and seethe it and skim it clean. Take saffroun, powdered pepper, and throw thereon. Take grated bread and make it so stiff that it will be leched (cut in slices). Then take cinnamon powder and strew thereon enough. Then make it square as though thou wouldst slice it. Take, when thou slicest it, and cast box leaves above, stuck thereon in cloves. And if thou will have it red, color it with saunders (sandalwood) enough.”

The eagle eyed among you will notice that there is no ginger in that recipe. This is the frustration of being a medievalist. Your fortunes are dictated by the whims of the medieval scribe. So, whether incompetent or he just felt that it was too obvious to note, I had to guess where to add the ginger. Gode Cookery have perfected this recipe, and even list quantities of ingredients, a bit by trial and error and a bit by mixing and matching with others in other MSS but ever the purist I wanted to try out this one recipe in its simplicity and vagueness. I loathe measuring things out anyway.

The result was not unpleasant. ‘Different’ was the most rapturous of reviews anyone has given it so far.  Which is hardly a glowing endorsement. I myself don’t particularly care for honey so I was never enamoured with the idea of this recipe but I do like Ginger bread so why not.

Ingredients 

A good dod of honey. (Dod is a scientific and precise measuring term used in Scotland…it means a bit, or some)

Cinnamon, Saffron and that quintessential medieval spice Pepper

Breadcrumbs (unseasoned breadcrumbs or this will end up very salty and yuk)

The Method (for those who struggle with ye olde speak)

1. Boil honey and skim off any scum.

2. Add powdered spices.

3. Add breadcrumbs until the mix goes stiff and doughlike.

4. Spoon out onto a container and let set (or bake a bit if you prefer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was left with this gag inducing pile of mush. I should have spooned it into a deeper and smaller container and perhaps made it stiffer.

5. Cut up and munch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Aftermath

Well, I learned a lesson about quantities ending up with instead of lovely Ginger Bread but ginger snaps. Since the taste wasn’t entirely pleasant (to me, anyway) I was glad I didn’t waste more significant quantities of ingredients particularly the expensive spices etc but I reckon with golden syrup,treacle, molasses, maple syrup this would be more to my tastes though admittedly less authentic.