中世ヨーロッパの料理の色―「サラセン・コネクション」による食の発展―

抄録

In the high society of medieval Europe, color was symbolic. Through color, court costumes, coats of arms, and stained glass in churches conveyed information about social status and revealed spiritual and moral connotations. Colorful dishes presented in cookbooks dated from the end of the thirteenth century indicate that color was also an important element of feasts, although, in ancient Rome, spices were used as a perfuming agent instead of as coloring. Throughout events such as the Crusades, the Islamic domination in Al-Andalus, and the commercial trades, the “Saracen connection” allowed Europe to assimilate Arab traditions and thus, incorporate colorful dishes to its cuisine.

This paper presents how and why colors are used in cuisine by examining the changes in the use of spices, especially saffron. There are cultural relations between colors and culinary preparations, and some colors have common patterns that are useful for understanding medieval mentalities and Arab medical influences.