FTAO historians

[mik]

It occurred to me at the weekend - whilst tucking into a most scrumptious curry - that at some point in history, when kings had people to taste their food & shizzle - they must have been served something spicy and mistook it as a poison?

Did this ever happen?

[KiwiDave]

There's some random shit happens in your head sometimes...

[Gavster]

Here's a download link to Chapter 15 from A History of Food by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat which covers the spice trade and mentions curry. Not sure if it answers your question but it might help https://we.tl/t-ow2LRvCHY1

[Rich B]

i’d expect the Royal family would employ someone who understood what spices were to review their food?

[mik]

@KiwiDave unfortunately yes

@Gavster cheers - will take a look later

@Rich B I was thinking more of a first encounter


Chief: xjvchgkjfl;a

Interpreter: He says "welcome to our village. Will you and the Prince stay for dinner? It's chicken in a sauce. With rice".

Taster: Yes of course. The prince likes chicken in a sauce.


Chief: jklf;dopsa

Interpreter: He says "it's quite hot though"

Taster: Yes of course. The prince is used to eating food that is hot


Chief: gboo5hm,hgsop[olllololol

Interpreter: He says "there you go"

Taster: Hmmm. Mmmmm. Wow. That's really nice. Actually give me some more of that. Ooh I've never tasted chi.....hang on.... my mouth..... MY MOUTH IS ON FIRE. THE FOOD IS POISONED WITH FiReY pOIsON!


Chief: knvxi

Interpreter: He says..... "Pussy".

Taster: OFF WITH HIS HEAD!

etc

[jamcg]

I’d more worried about why it’s spicy in the first place- as a species we started using spices to kill bacteria on meat that was slightly on the turn

[Gavster]

I suspect the first time someone ate spice it wasn't a chicken phal with a keema naan, but more likely a quill of cinnamon in hot water, or some ginger. They'd work their way up to the curry from there.

[duncs500]

I expect the scenario tends to be that the explorers visit a new place and probably bring back a few things for the king to try (which no doubt have already been deemed safe). It would be very rare for the monarch to be at the frontier of an unknown culture that was so distant that things like spice were completely new (and if they were they'd probably have their own entourage preparing their classic meals), anything within a reasonable proximity would have filtered through by trade and word of mouth over centuries.

The sailors in the 16th and 17th centuries who started crossing the globe at speed probably did get a few surprises though!

[Gavster]

What I would really love to know is how someone worked out that if you take some banisteriopsis caapi vines, bash them really hard with a hammer until they split, then put them in a pot with some charcruna leaves and water, boil it for hours and hours until it looks like diarrhoea, then let it cool, drink it anyway despite it's appearance, then you discover it is the most bitter, vomit-like drink you've ever tried, but you carry on anyway for some ridiculous reason, and despite all these warning signs, you finally realise that you've just discovered how to make Ayuhasica and you're now going to trip balls and meet God.

I bet that was a shock

[dinny_g]

[Marv]

It occurred to me at the weekend - whilst tucking into a most scrumptious curry - that at some point in history, when kings had people to taste their food & shizzle - they must have been served something spicy and mistook it as a poison?

Did this ever happen?

They forget to tell the king about a whole peppercorn on his evening meal. The king bites into a whole peppercorn, thinks he's dying, gets his food tester on the spot beheaded. The king then realises after less than a minute he'll be fine, but just had his beloved food tester killed.

[Mito Man]

Wild mushrooms must have been interesting, they don’t even kill you until hours after you’ve eaten them so would appear fine even when tested.

[jamcg]

What I would really love to know is how someone worked out that if you take some banisteriopsis caapi vines, bash them really hard with a hammer until they split, then put them in a pot with some charcruna leaves and water, boil it for hours and hours until it looks like diarrhoea, then let it cool, drink it anyway despite it's appearance, then you discover it is the most bitter, vomit-like drink you've ever tried, but you carry on anyway for some ridiculous reason, and despite all these warning signs, you finally realise that you've just discovered how to make Ayuhasica and you're now going to trip balls and meet God.

I bet that was a shock

See also that expensive coffee shit out by a civet- I know, let’s boil this poo

[Gavster]

Wild mushrooms must have been interesting, they don’t even kill you until hours after you’ve eaten them so would appear fine even when tested.

They must have been some serious trial and error over the years even the warning signs for foraged mushrooms are inconsistent.