Food History

This is one of my special posts for January. Flick has written to tell us how foodways wove into her research for the first volume of the Janna Mysteries. She has also kindly donated a copy of the new edition, which has both the first and second volume. In February we might have a competition or a draw or something to find the new owner of this terrific volume.

I was her historical consultant and it is such a joy to work with a good writer who listens so carefully. I adore getting a new draft of her latest Janna book in the mail. I get to comment on Flick’s manuscripts and explain why this won’t work or that won’t work historically, then Flick goes back and sorts out how she can improve the history without talking away from the story or the characters. Often she finds a way of improving everything at once.

This post gives you an insight into how she works and how a bit of foodways can really make a difference to a novel.

“A difficulty arose while I was writing Rue for Repentance, Book 2 of my medieval crime series for teenagers titled The Janna Mysteries. In this novel, Janna is on the run and hides out in a forest. How is she to survive?

This is an example of how my writing angels ‘look after me’ when I most need information. One thing I used to do (until I discovered it was illegal!) was to pick wildflowers on my walks during my research trips in England. I’d been tramping the downs & forest all morning and, tired, hungry and thirsty, I lobbed into one of those delightful English pubs for lunch and a refreshing ale. While I was waiting, I pulled out my wilting flowers and whatnots, and my reference guide to wildflowers in the UK, and set about trying to find out what they were (and if anything was edible!)

The chef wandered out and gave me what for (that’s when I discovered that picking stuff is illegal.) When I explained it wasn’t just wanton destruction and that I had a good reason for it, he darted back to his kitchen and then presented me with a wonderful publication that was the answer to all my prayers and my problems. It’s a Collins gem called Food for Free, subtitled ‘a fantastic feast of plants and folklore’ and it’s written by Richard Mabey.

It’s divided into four sections (after an introduction): plants & trees; fungi; seaweeds and shellfish. A handy calendar at the beginning of the book lists what’s available in which months, while a list of recipes at the end promises such delights as dandelion leaf salad, elderflower fritters or cordial; fried puffball steaks, sloe gin, nettle haggis … and the list goes on.

I discovered that young hawthorn leaves are commonly referred to as ‘bread and cheese’, being such a staple in the country, while stinging nettles can be made into a soup or pureed as well as being mixed with bacon and oatmeal for a haggis. The elder is another bountiful plant with medicinal as well as culinary qualities. Elderflowers ‘taste as frothy as a glass of icecream soda’ eaten straight from the tree, and the berries are used in pies and jellies.

There are also little historical nuggets of info; apparently the seeds of ‘fat hen’ formed part of the last ritual gruel fed to the 2,4000 year old ‘Tolland Man’ whose perfectly preserved corpse was recovered from a bog in Jutland, Denmark in 1950. The leaves of fat hen can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach.

The section on fungi is very detailed, with clear instructions for picking and preparation, and also for telling the difference between the edible and poisonous. (DId you know that there are 3000 species of large-bodied fungi growing in the UK and only about 20 are seriously poisonous?)

As Janna was nowhere near the sea, I didn’t have to address seaweeds (YUK!) or shellfish (YUM!) but there was plenty in the first two sections to keep her alive in the forest for a very long time.
(What a great book to take on a camping trip in England!) ”

Felicity Pulman

PS from Gillian - the picture above ought to link to where you can buy it, since not all of you are near bookshops that sell Australian books.

PPS from Gillian. More about me and historical fiction here (but only sometimes). More about books here (all the time!). The New Year makes me feel just exceptionally helpful.