Today’s offering is an interesting perspective on the Northern Italian staple of polenta – the yellow stuff which we all know and love, made from maize. It is made from maize, isn’t it? The story comes from an early eighteenth century
Today’s offering is an interesting perspective on the Northern Italian staple of polenta – the yellow stuff which we all know and love, made from maize. It is made from maize, isn’t it? The story comes from an early eighteenth century text: Botanologia, the English herbal, or, History of plants (1710) by William Salmon.
XVI. Polenta. This the Ancients made variously: Pliny lib. 18. chap. 7. Says that the Greeks made it of Green Barly taken out of the Ear before it was fully ripe, steeped in Water, then beaten in a Mortar, after washed in Baskets, to free it from the Husks, so dried in the Sun, and afterwards steeped and beaten again, till it was thoroughly cleansed, which being dried was ground small: of this they took xx. pounds, and added thereto, Lin-seed, Coriander-seed of each j. pound: Salt ij. ounces: these last things well beaten together were mixed with the Barly, and so prepared for use. II. Other Grecians, says Pliny, Made it of Barly steeped for a Night in Water, and Husked by beating in a Mortar, after dried, and so parched or fried it the next day, and then ground it to Meal, to make Bread, Cakes, Puddings, or Broath of. III. The Italians Made it of Parched Barly, without any moistening, ground small; to xx. pounds of which they added Millet-seed win Pounder iij. Pounds, Salt ij ounces and a half, and them mixt them all together. IV. Galen Commends it to be Made of Fresh Barly, not full out ripe or hardned, and before the Beard was white, or quite dry, and then indifferently parched, and reduced to Flower, adding nothing else to it. Many nations used this Polenta instead of Bread, and the Cypriots, tho’ they had Wheat growing with them, yet mostly eat this. It drys and astringes more than Barly it self, binding the Belly and stopping fluxes, being drunk with Alicant, or red Wine