Making Medieval Fig Spread - Rapé | History of the Fig

The Fig is one of the oldest and most prized fruits in history. In this episode, I explore that illustrious history and make a delectable fig and raisin purée from Medieval England called Rapé.

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LINK TO INGREDIENTS**

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RAPÉ (Fig and Raisin Purée)
Take half fyges and half raisouns; pike hem and waishe hem in water. Skalde hem in wyne, bray hem in a mortar, and drawe hem thurgh a straynour. Cast hem in a pot, and therewith powdur of peper, and oother good powdours. Alay it up with floer of rys and colour it with saundres. Salt it, seeth it and messe it forth.

MODERN INTERPRETATION (Based on Lorna J Sass's adaptation from To The King's Taste)
INGREDIENTS
- 125 g/4 oz well-soaked dried figs
- 125 g /4 oz stoned raisins
- 275 ml/10 oz red wine
- A pinch of black pepper
- Other spices. These are up to the chef. I used:
1. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2. 1/8 tsp cloves
3. 1/8 tsp dried orange peel
- 1/2 tsp Sandalwood Powder
- 3 tsp rice flour
- A pinch of salt

MODERN METHOD
1. Remove the stems from the figs and soak fruit in cool water for 30 minutes.
2. Combine figs, raisin, red wine, spices, and sandalwood powder in a saucepan (do not add rice flour or salt), and stir to combine. Then set over medium head until simmering, then cover pan with a lid and simmer until fruit it softened or about 10 minutes.
3. Once the fruit is soft, purée with either a mortar and pestle or in a blender.
4. Mix rice flour and salt into the puree and return it to the stove on low heat for another 5 minutes, or until the puree has thickened.
5. Serve it forth.
**Rapé is meant as a garnish or filling and can be used in numerous ways. I suggest it as a sauce for meat (add a bit more wine to make it less stiff) or as a filling for a pastry or on sweetened bread, or served with a mild cheese like brie.

SOURCES

PHOTO CREDITS

#fig #medieval #medievalfood #foodhistory #tastinghistory

[DarkAuraLord]

This comment section is a lot more mature than I was ready for.

[rektdedrip]

"Once your figs are soaked, and you're a little sauced..."
Spoken like a true chef.

[alexspoon]

Max: Please, forgive me my shaggy quarantine hair
Max's hair: *glistening off into the oblivion with its perfection*

[JoshL]

Max: "Asia minor"
Harp: [chord in A minor]
Max: "Asia major"
Harp: [chord in A major]

[thomassowinski]

When you mentioned that figs travel well, it made me think about what would be considered "traveller's food" back then. Perhaps an episode on what might foods a travelling merchant might bring/prepare while on the road? Alternately, food you might find in an inn. I guess the equivalent of "fast food" in those days.

[andreacampbell]

Dude, who are you?! You just came up YouTube months ago, made some killing editing (many congrats) and the awesome nerdy content we didn't know we needed. I'm amazed. Much respect.

[Nyckname]

"A little wine in the food, a little wine in the cook, a little more wine in the cook..." ~ Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet

[mimidoll]

"a domesticated fig." all I can think about is a fig on a leash. With a dog tag...

[darklandmaster]

i love how he shows off his pokemon collection with every episode

[dogsbody]

I never wear a toga anymore as last time I was adjusting it my figs fell out & I got arrested!

[Chris-iyql]

I just ate the figs and drank the wine. Same thing right?

[surprisedchar]

Man with well kept hair: “So forgive my shaggy quarantine hair and lack of will to shave.”
Me, who has grown a mullet since lockdown began: “Alright I’ll try.”

[jessicakalan]

Is it weird that the addition of watching him eat has greatly increased my enjoyment of these videos? I feel satisfied somehow.

[danielberka]

i clicked on this video and went straight to the comments thinking there was gonna be a lot of rape jokes but i couldn’t find a single one i’m proud of you guys

[Kaytoun]

Today on names of food that haven’t aged well...

[zuthalsoraniz]

Says "shaggy quarantine hair", while still having his hair more organised than I probably ever have in my life...

[AstuteAces]

Quarantine hair don’t care. You wear your stubble well!

[ercicia]

I love that this is his 'bummy' hair. Like that still isn't Clark Kent in comparison with most people lol.

[JustinDoddMillen]

I had no idea figs were so ingrained into the culture and history of those areas. In this day and age, there's such a huge variety of fruits and vegetables that aren't indigenous to the United States that we still think of as "everyday, common" produce. I'd be curious to see a native american recipe of some kind. Something where all the ingredients are indigenous to the North American continent, if such a thing even exists.

[mathewpowers]

Just in case your still reading comments from this video. I made a pork loin with the fig (added wine to make it a) sauce, with yellow onions, red potatoes, carrots and garlic around it and roasted it. Then had the syllabub over mixed berries for dessert. Was AMAZING!