Talk:Salt crust

Chocobit98 (talk) 09:35, 20 October 2018 (UTC)

Steak?

I've removed quite a lot of content that wasn't relevant (salt in preserving, salt's cultural role, etc.), but left one borderline section: the cooking of a steak on a bed of salt. I don't think that is the same method, as the steak isn't completely surrounded by salt; it's in an open pan, it just happens to sit on top of a salt layer as opposed to in contact with the pan. But I also couldn't categorically say that it's not somehow related, so left it in for now. If anyone feels it should go, feel free to get rid of it. -- DoubleGrazing (talk) 09:17, 4 September 2020 (UTC)

What is the exact source of the Archestratos recipe for salt-baked fish?

In 2010 the blog The silk road published a recipe that according to the author originates from Life of luxury by Archestratos (3rd C BC). However, she does not mention where in the text this recipe can be found. I looked through the edition from 2000 (Archestratos of Gela, S. Douglas Olson and Alexander Sens, Oxford University press) and unless I am mistaken, there is no such recipe from Archestratos. If there is, please mention where exactly this recipe can be found (like, the number of the fragment, or the page in the edition - a new edition appeared in 2011 with Prospect Books). As it is now, I see no proof that Archestratos wrote this recipe. Cmuusers (talk) 15:42, 7 September 2024 (UTC)

Well ... I have a probable source of the recipe in The Silk road blog: Cooking in Ancient Civilizations by Cathy K. Kaufman (2006), p.93. She mentions fragment 46 (45 in ed. Brandt) as the source of this recipe. However, she has adapted the recipe, as there is no mention of egg whites or thyme in the original text at all.

Moreover, where Kaufmann translates the text as 'Descale them and bake them well, until tender, in salt', the edtion of Olson and Alexander has 'Roast them whole and unscaled, but carefully, since they are tender, and serve them drenched in brine' (p.180). In the notes they explain that a dipping sauce is probably what is meant.(p.185)

My knowledge of ancient-Greek is practically non-existent. But still, I do not see in this recipe of Archestratos a fish baked in a salt crust. I hope that others can clarify this. Cmuusers (talk) 16:00, 7 September 2024 (UTC)

This is quite a one-sided discussion! I have now the edition (modern English translation) by John Wilkons & Shaun Hill (Prospect Books, 2011). They follow Brand, so the fragment is #45.

Their translation of the phrase in question: Descale them and bake them whole, intil tender, in salt. So, Kaufmann has used this edition as the source for the recipe (and it is very tasty). The translators heva not explained the difference between their version of the text and the edition of Olson and Sens. Again, my knowledge of ancient Greek is very small, so I still hope for a discussion on the exact meaning of the text. Which edition is right? Cmuusers (talk) 09:13, 15 September 2024 (UTC)