Our viands

In 1887 the importation of sugar to the United Kingdom reached the enormous total of 1,080,590 tons, and this was rather under the quantity consumed in the two previous years. With these figures before us it seems hard to realise that there was a time when sugar was unknown, its place being supplied by honey, which has now sunk into a subordinate position; but we see also how extremely important must have been the keeping of bees among the ancients, since almost all the sweetness required in cookery was dependent upon the productive industry of these little insects. The Egyptians sent boats laden with bees up the Nile to enable the industrious insects to fill their combs from the flowers near its banks. The Greeks celebrated the honey of Mount Hymettus, and even to the present day this honey is highly prized, and the modern Greeks use it, as probably their ancestors and the ancient Egyptians used it, mixed with flour and oil in the manufacture of Honey, says Soyer, was the basis of the seasoning of CONDIMENTS 163 Apicius, and Pythagoras, who ate only bread and honey, lived to be ninety ; and we are told * whoever wishes to preserve his health should eat, every morning before break- fast, young onions with honey.' Honey, indeed, seems to have entered into every sauce among the Romans, and mixed with mustard was served as a condiment with brawn, but it was also freely used formerly in British cookery. The anonymous author of 'The Art of Cookery' says— ' Our fathers most admired their Sauces sweet, And often ask'd for Sugar with their meat ; They butter 'd Currants on fat Veal bestowed, And rumps of Beef with virgin Honey strew'd.' * Olive oil was almost as important as honey in ancient cookery, but it was cot the only oil used, for Horace gives the recipes for two sauces of the Romans as follows : — ' Two sorts of sauce are worthy to be known, Simple the first and of sweet oil alone ; The other, mix'd with rich and generous wine, And the true pickle of Byzantian brine, Let it, with shredded herbs and saffron boil, And when it cools pour in Venafran oil.' Brine was water in which bay salt had been dissolved, but we read also of herring and anchovy brine, and of that remarkable compound garum, made of the semi-putrid intestines of fish, put into a vessel with much salt, and exposed to the sun till fermentation began, after which wine was sometimes added, and it was filtered through willow baskets, and kept for use. The best and most expensive garum was made of the liver of the red mullet. The sauce of Apicius was thus compounded: — 'Mix * Nor must it be forgotten that among the ancients honey was frequently used in embalming the dead, and coffins full of honey are slill sometimes found. 164 OUR VIANDS with honey \ oz. pepper, 3 scruples eschalots, 6 scruples cardamum, i scruple spikenard, and 6 scruples mint, add vinegar, and pour in some garum.' And the same chef gives us a stomachic condiment in which garum figures : * Mix carefully some pine nuts, pepper, benzoin, mint, dried raisins and dates, with fresh unsalted cheese, vinegar, oil, honey, and wine, reduced by boiling to one half; add garum.'