Subject: Re: What are grains of paradise?

From: [email-masked] (Stephen Bloch)
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1993 21:16:46 GMT

There has historically been some disagreement about this, but there
seems to be a consensus among modern scholars.  One source of confusion
is that the phrase "graines of paris" sometimes appears too.  Going
through my cookbook shelf, I find...

John L. Anderson, ed. "A Fifteenth Century Cookry Boke", in his glossary
entry on "graynys of parise" or "graynys of perys", says "it has long been
assumed that this refers to 'grains of paradise,' the very piquant
seeds of an African ginger plant -- but I just don't believe it.  I
believe it is plain pear seeds, or ground-up dried whole pears...."
The editor gives no justification for his inability to believe the
phrase refers to grains of paradise, and it should be kept in mind
that he wrote this in 1962 when much less was known about early
cookery.

Terence Scully, ed. "The Viandier of Taillevent", in his glossary
entry on "graine, grainne, grene, de paradis, paradiz", says
"Amomum melegueta, melegueta pepper, Guinea pepper..."  Scully is a
highly-respected figure in early cookery.

Lorna J. Sass, "To the King's Taste", in her glossary entry on "grains
of paradise", says "the aromatic pungent seeds of a tropical West
African plant.... Grains are related to cardamom, which may be used as
a substitute."  In her introduction, she says (following a discussion
of cubebs) "Another pepperlike berry, although smaller and
teardrop-shaped, is the grain of paradise (sometimes called grain of
Paris)...."  This is not a bad source.

Charles W. Dunn, ed, and Harry W. Robbins, transl. "The Romance of the
Rose"  The original poem refers to grains of paradise, albeit in
French, and the editor and/or translator commented that this meant
"the malagueta pepper tree".  I copied down this fact, but didn't copy
down where in the book it occurs.

The 18th-century editor of "The Forme of Cury", in both the introduction
and the glossary, says Grains of Paradice, or Grains de parys, or
Greynes de Parus, or Greynes de paradys, are "the greater cardamoms".
I don't know how much this editor knew about 14th-century cooking.

Mrs. Alexander Napier, the 19th-century editor of "A Noble Boke off
Cookry", says in her glossary "Granes or greynes de Paris, cardamoms."
I don't know how much she knew about 15th-century cooking.

In short, many writers agree that it's similar to cardamom (but
perhaps larger), and most modern sources agree on the Melegueta pepper
tree, Amomum melegueta.

-- 
					Stephen Bloch
				    [email-masked]