18th Century Herb & Spice Trends
Culinary Preferences of Late 1700s New England
Review of an early American cookbook illustrates which herbs and spices were popular in the post-Colonial New England kitchen.
Numerous herbs and spices that we enjoy today have been used for culinary purposes for hundreds or even thousands of years. Although these ingredients are not new, their availability and popularity have changed significantly over time affording the contemporary cook a more global perspective. A glimpse into a late 18th century cookbook illustrates which herbs and spices were popular in the post-colonial New England kitchen.
An American Cookbook
The first cookbook published in the United States to include indigenous foods was in 1798 by Amelia Simmons entitled American Cookery, or the art of dressing viands, fish, poultry, and vegetables, and the best modes of making pastes, puffs, pies, tarts, puddings, custards and preserves, and all kinds of cakes, from the imperial plumb to plain cake: Adapted to this country, and all grades of life. A lengthy title by today’s standards, but a commonly descriptive one for its time. Prior to this publication, cookbooks had either been published in Europe or were published using European cooking techniques and ingredients.
“Herbs Useful in Cookery”
American Cookery includes a section for “Herbs, useful in Cookery”, which describes the uses of common herbs, including thyme, sweet marjoram, summer savory, sage, parsley, pennyroyal, and sweet thyme. The preferred uses of these herbs are described below.
- Thyme was said to be “…good in soups and stuffings.”
- Sweet Marjoram was “used in Turkeys.”
- Summer Savory was likewise used when cooking Turkeys, but was also used “…in Sausages and salted Beef, and legs of Pork.”
- Sage was described as being “…used in Cheese and Pork, but not generally approved.”
- Parsley was “…good in soups, and to garnish roast Beef, excellent with bread and butter in the spring.”
- Pennyroyal (spelled in the cookbook as two words Penny Royal) was described as “…a high aromatic, although a spontaneous herb in old ploughed fields, yet might be more generally cultivated in gardens, and used in cookery and medicines.”
- Sweet Thyme was said to be “…most useful and best approved in cookery.”
The one herb that stands out from this list with respect to modern culinary use is pennyroyal, which has a strong flavor and in the days prior to refrigeration was reportedly used to mask the taste of foul meat. Pennyroyal is more commonly used today for its medicinal or aromatic qualities than in cooking, and may actually be harmful if ingested.
Other Herbs & Spices
Other herbs and spices featured in recipes within the cookbook include cinnamon, cayenne, cloves, mace, nutmeg, black and white pepper, allspice, ginger, coriander seeds, fennel, caraway (carroway) seeds, garlic, and mustard seeds. A well stocked kitchen indeed! Although other herbs and spices were available at the time, those included in American Cookery reveal period favorites that were both reasonably available and suited the tastes of New England diners.
For information on early American gardening, please see Historic Landscapes and gardens: New England – Survey of Selected 19th Century Gardens.
