Splatte that pyke

A list of cooking terms from 1508

Welcome to the 47th issue of the Lists of Note newsletter. You can support this project by becoming a paid subscriber, or by donating, or by purchasing a copy of the Lists of Note book in which this list can also be found. Thanks!

---

Cambridge University Library

The carving of meat was considered a fine art in the late Middle Ages, at least in the affluent homes where such foods could be afforded, with whole animals routinely and precisely sliced on the dining table for all to see by household staff armed with specialist knowledge. In 1508, these rules of carving and general preparation of meat were collated by influential publisher Wynkyn de Worde in The Boke of Kervynge (The Book of Carving), a guide aimed at the staff of such households which began with a wonderful list of terms to be used when dealing with various foods.

The original can be seen above. Below is a transcript to which I’ve attempted to add some modern translations. Definitions in the footnotes are from Wikipedia. If you’re squeamish, this list may not be for you.

---

Termes of a keruer —Terms of a carver

Breke that dere — break that deer
lesche y brawne — leach¹ the brawn²
rere that goose — rear that goose
lyft that swanne — lift that swan
sauce that capon — sauce that capon³
spoyle that henne — spoil that hen
fruche that chekyn — ? that chicken
vnbrace that malarde — unbrace that mallard
vnlace that cony — unlace that coney⁴
dysmembre that heron — dismember that heron
dysplaye that crane — display that crane
dysfygure that pecocke —disfigure that peacock
vnioynt that bytture — unjoint that bittern⁵
vntache that curlewe — untack that curlew⁶
alaye that fesande — allay that pheasant
wynge that partryche — wing that partridge
wynge that quayle — wing that quail
mynce that plouer — mince that plover⁷
thye that pegyon — thigh that pigeon
border that pasty — border that pasty
thye that wodcocke — thigh that woodock
thye all maner of small byrdes — thigh all manner of small birds
tymbre that fyre — timber that fire
tyere that egge — tear that egg
chyne that samon — chine⁸ that salmon
strynge that lampraye — string that lamprey⁹
splatte that pyke — splat that pike
sauce that playce — sauce that plaice
sauce that tenche — sauce that tench
splaye that breme — splay that bream
syde that haddocke — side that haddock
tuske that barbell — tusk that barbel
culpon that troute — culpon¹⁰ that trout
fynne that cheuen — fin that cheven¹¹
trassene that ele — ? that eel
traunche that sturgyon — tranche¹² that sturgeon
vndertraunche yt purpos — undertranch that porpoise
tayme that crabbe — tame that crab
barbe that lopster — barb that lobster

Here endeth the goodly termes.

1. leach: “a popular medieval sweetmeat consisting of a thick, jelly-like preserve which set hard enough to be sliced for serving”

2. brawn: “meat from a pig’s or calf’s head”

3. capon: “a castrated domestic cock fattened for eating”

4. coney: rabbit

5. bittern: a thickset heron

6. curlew: a long-billed wading bird

7. plover: a wading bird

8. chine: “to cut along or across the backbone”

9. lamprey: “an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes”

10. culpon: to split

11. cheven: a freshwater fish

12. tranche: slice