Stewpot, marmite, or kettle. With a ring base. The cover fits over the
mouth. Ntl. Mus., Naples, 74813; Field M., 24172.}
THE EXCERPTS FROM APICIUS
BY VINIDARIUS
THE ILLUSTRIOUS MAN
_Apici Excerpta A Vinidario Viro Inlustri_
FIFTH CENTURY
Vinidarius, a Goth, of noble birth or a scientist, living in Italy.
Vinithaharjis is the native name. Of his time and life very little is
known. It appears that he was a student of Apicius and that he made
certain excerpts from that book which are preserved in the uncial
codex of Salmasius, sæc. VIII, Paris, lat. 10318.
Vollmer in his Apicius commentary says that Salmasius and his
predecessors have accepted them as genuine. Schuch incorporated these
recipes in the Apicius text of his editions, in appropriate places, as
he thought. This course cannot be recommended, although the recipes
should form an integral part of any Apicius edition.
M. Ihm, who faithfully reprinted the excerpta in the Archiv f. lat.
Lex. XV, 64, ff. says distinctly: "These excerpts have nothing to do
with the ten books of Apicius, even if some recipes resemble each
other ..." and other researchers have expressed the same opinion.
Vollmer, however, does not share this view.
If I may be permitted to concur with Vollmer, I would say that the
excerpts are quite Apician in character, and that in a sense they fill
certain gaps in the Apicius text, although the language is strongly
vulgarized which may be readily expected to be the case in the age of
Vinidarius.
The recipes of Anthimus, written around A.D. 511 also confirm the
close relation existing between Vinidarius and Apicius. Anthimus was
the Greek physician to Theodoric I, (The Great), Frankish king living
in Italy. He was not acquainted with Apicius.
SUMMARY OF SPICES
_BREVIS PIMENTORUM_ [1]
WHICH SHOULD BE IN THE HOUSE ON HAND SO THAT THERE MAY BE NOTHING
WANTING [in the line of condiments]: SAFFRON, PEPPER, GINGER, LASER,
LEAVES [laurel-bay-nard], MYRTLE BERRIES, COSTMARY, CHERVIL [2],
INDIAN SPIKENARD, ADDENA [3], CARDAMOM, SPIKENARD.
[1] _Pigmentorum_--_specierum_--spices. The old
_pigmentum_ is really any coloring matter; the word,
corrupted to pimento and pimiento is now used for sweet
red pepper and also for allspice.
[2] _Cariofilu_--_cærefolium_--_Chærephyllon_; Fr.
_Cerfeuille_; Ger. _Kerbel_. This should be among the
herbs.
[3] Not identified.
OF SEEDS [to be on hand]
_DE SEMINIBUS HOC_
POPPY SEED, RUE SEED, RUE BERRIES, LAUREL BERRIES, ANISE SEED, CELERY
SEED, FENNEL SEED, LOVAGE SEED, ROCKET SEED, CORIANDER SEED, CUMIN,
DILL, PARSLEY SEED, CARRAWAY SEED, SESAM.
OF DRIED [herbs, etc., to be on hand]
_DE SICCIS HOC_
LASER ROOT, MINT, CATNIP, SAGE, CYPRESS, ORIGANY, JUNIPER, SHALLOTS,
BACAS TIMMI [1], CORIANDER, SPANISH CAMOMILE, CITRON, PARSNIPS,
ASCALONIAN SHALLOTS, BULL RUSH ROOTS, DILL, FLEABANE, CYPRIAN RUSH,
GARLIC, LEGUMES [2], MARJORAM [3], INNULA [4] SILPHIUM, CARDAMOM.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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