Food research question

[moricktowain]

I've posted in the raids forum about a pirate camping weekend I'm working on. I've been asked by the campground owners what sort of food I want to have prepared for dinner on the Saturday, and I'm at a somewhat loss for ideas as to what would be easily prepared that would be something appropriate for a pirate to eat. So:

What sort of food(s) would a pirate eat on board a ship as well as on shore?

I also need suggestion for a pirate themed non-alcoholic drink that could be served during the weekend (reason being that there might be people attending who will be under the age of 21)

Morick Towain

Captain of the Pirate Brethren of Texas

Moderator of the Gay Pirate Reenactors Yahoo group.

[Patrick Hand]

What sort of food(s) would a pirate eat on board a ship as well as on shore?

Wormy Hardtack and rusty saltpork....... and scummy green water .......

(At least it would be a meal that everyone will remember for a long time......)

[William Brand]

Patrick is correct, but I assume that your are looking for more enjoyable fare?

You can make hard tack with a little extra sugar and it isn't bad, but you may have to break away from the awful food and serve a lot of fresh fish or turtle soup. There's always goat fixings. Boats kept goats for milk, cheese and the eventual meat. Eggs are common...boiled, fried and scrambled. Pork in its many forms. There is also a variety of puddings and molasses oriented desserts. Also try nuts, tropical fruits, raisens and dates.

[Patrick Hand]

Morick, I started a thread in "Thee Way to a Pyrates Heart" on "A Fantacy Pyrate Feast".... I figure we can discuss period pyrate food here, and Fantacy Pyrate food there.......

[capnwilliam]

I've not read it (though I intend to), but I've heard that FEEDING NELSON'S NAVY has some great info as to what seamen ate in the 18th - early 19th centuries.

Capt. William

[Lady Seahawke]

You might try serving

SALMAGUNDI

This was the last dish Black Bart ate before the Royal Navy attacked him.

Its orgin is the French 'salemine', meaning highly salted or seasoned. The basic variety was "Poor John" (salt fish) boiled with onions. It could also include chopped meat, eggs and anchovies - whatever was available.

The most luxurious version had meat, turtle, fish and shellfish marinated in spices, herbs, garlic, palm hearts, spiced wine andoil, and served wiht cabbage, grapes olives, pickled oinioins and hard-boiled eggs.

The term seems to have come from the French 'salmigondis' a communal meat stew to which any available vegetable swere added. The dish appealed to the 'Brethren of the Coast' with its shared contribution to the communal cauldron, and Botting described it as having meats that were roasted, chopped into chunks and marinated in spiced wine, then combine with cabbage, anchovies, pickled herring, mangoes, hard boiled eggs, palm hearts, onions, olives, grapes and any other pickled vegetables which were available.

The whole would then be hightly seasone with garlic, salt, pepper and mustard seed, and doused with oil and vinegar and served with drafts of beer and rum.

reinhardt describes it thus: Included might be any or all of the following turtle meat, fish, pork, chicken, corned beef, ham, duck and pigeon. The meats would be roasted chopped into pieces and marinated in spiced wine, then mixed with cabbbage, anchovies. pickled herring, mangoes, hard boilded eggs, onions, grapes, and any other pickled vegtable available. The entire concoction would then be highly seasone with garlic, salt, pepper, and mustard seed and soaked with oil and vinegar.

the strong seasonings and vegetables helped to suppress scury, and Black Bart Roberts was breakfasting on it when surprised by the Royal Navy in 1722.

RUMFUSTIAN

A popular hot pirate drink blended from raw eggs, sugar, sherry, beer, and gin.

BUMBOO

Along with Rumfustian, the favored alcoholic beverage on New Providence, a mix of rum, water, nutmeg and sugar.

BURGOO

Oatmeal, boiled and seasoned with butter, sugar and salt. A gruel similar to porridge, it was easy for anyone to prepare in the the ship's galley even in the roughest seas. and it had enough sustenance to help with the hard work aboard ship. Although Pirates uniformly hated. First mentioned in 1656 by Edward Cox in Adventures by Sea. Burgoo could also be hard tack and molasses.

BLACK STRAP

A lethal combination of rum, molasses, and chowder beer, the favourte tipple of Black Bart's crew. Later in the 18th century it was the term for thick, sweet port. also known as black stripe.

BELLY TIMBER

Green Turtles were the only vegetarian turtle and made a superb soup when laced with sherry.

SCOTCH COFFEE

Also known as Labscouse, this was the ubiquitous salt beef boiled up with ships' biscuits, potatoes, onions and some vinegar.

I have seen these in other sources...but took the descriptions this time out of

"The Pirate Dictionary" by Terry Breverton

[JoshuaRed]

Why not set up a traditional boucanier spit and roast a pig Esquemeling style?