February 2025
So About That Kitten Recipe…
Hello Tastorians!
In last month's newsletter, I asked for episode suggestions and the response was overwhelming! I received over 1,200 suggestions! I can't wait to turn some of them into full episodes.
I also wanted to update you on a question posed in the first video of the year. Can kittens cure gout? In the episode on gout, I discussed a recipe from the 1518 German medical text, Spiegel der Artzny, which claims that a possible treatment for gout is to "Roast a fat old goose and stuff with chopped kittens, lard, incense, wax and flour of rye. This must all be eaten, and the dripping applied to the painful joints." The idea of eating kittens hurt my soul, so I wanted to believe that the english translation, the only one I could find, was incorrect. So I asked the audience if they had any insight and boy did they! I received over 500 emails on the topic and several were from scholars in late medieval German texts (I have the coolest audience). The results were not conclusive, but here are a few theories posited by those with education in the field.
1. The term, while it could apply to kittens, could also apply to baby rabbits.
2. The term actually refers to a type of willow (today called Weidenkätzchen) which is often used for medicinal remedies. This is analogous to the term catgut historically used to string violins. It's not actually the gut of a cat as the name would imply.
3. The word in the text is "ein Katzen" (modern equivalent "eine Katze"). This does actually refer to a cat, though typically a full grown one. However the translation is still wrong because the original text does not claim it needs to be eaten, but only used as a balm. This theory doesn't make me feel any better.
4. The word isn't "ein Katzen" at all! The font on the copy I shared is smudged and the K could actually be a different letter altogether. One viewer even sought out another copy kept at the University of Heidelberg which is slightly more legible and the word Katzen might be Batzen which can refer to a lump of meat.
So many theories, all of which are plausible, but none of which are conclusive. Personally, I like the idea of the willow simply because I am, indeed, a cat lover, as you can see by this adorable picture of Milo reclining in my wingback chair. Also, this photo inspired a viewer to paint Milo in oil paints, so as soon as I receive the painting, I'll be sure to share.
Milo, the most regal and elegant of cats, soon to be immortalized in oil paints
Finally, a book recommendation.
China in Seven Banquets: A Flavorful History by Thomas David DuBois. It discussed seven iconic meals in China's history which, together, tell the story of 5,000 years of cuisine. https://amzn.to/4aIs3gc
