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Ingredient substitutions

Barberries (zereshk)

The sharp red berries scattered over Persian rice. Sold dried in Middle Eastern shops, rare elsewhere. Use instead: Dried cranberries + a squeeze of lemon (1:1, chopped); Dried sour cherries (1:1). persian palace cooking modern echoes 1owf, mughal dastarkhan royal india dishes

Defrutum / sapa

Grape must boiled down to a dark syrup — the Roman kitchen's sugar, colouring and body in one. Use instead: Home-reduced grape juice (Simmer to a quarter of its volume); Italian mosto cotto or Greek petimezi (1:1); Pomegranate molasses (1:1, with a little honey). lost ancient roman sauces, ancient roman recipes to cook at home

Douchi (fermented black beans)

The umami engine of the Han kitchen. Cheap and common in Chinese grocers, invisible in most supermarkets. Use instead: Black bean sauce (1 tbsp sauce per 1 tbsp beans); Miso + a splash of soy (2 tsp miso + 1 tsp soy per 1 tbsp beans). ancient chinese food han dynasty

Emmer / einkorn / spelt

The ancient wheats behave nothing like modern bread flour — less gluten, and what there is tears easily. Use instead: Farro (1:1); Spelt (1:1); Wholemeal wheat flour (1:1). ancient grains bakers guide, ancient egyptian bread and beer

Epazote

The pungent Mexican herb that goes into beans and quesadillas, and which is hard to buy fresh outside the Americas. Use instead: Dried epazote (1 tsp dried per small handful fresh); Mexican oregano + a little coriander (To taste). what did aztecs eat daily food, beyond corn chili mesoamerican kitchens

Fonio

West Africa's fastest grain, still hard to find outside African grocers and specialist shops. Use instead: Couscous (1:1); Quinoa (1:1); Millet (1:1). africa ancient grains fonio teff rediscover

Garum

Roman fermented fish sauce. Nobody has made it at industrial scale since the empire's salting works closed. Use instead: Colatura di alici (1:1); Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (Start with half, then adjust); Worcestershire sauce (1:1, in a pinch). garum roman fish sauce, lost ancient roman sauces

Grains of paradise

A West African cardamom relative that medieval Europe used constantly and modern kitchens dropped entirely. Use instead: Black pepper + a little cardamom (3 parts pepper to 1 part cardamom); Black pepper alone (1:1). forgotten medieval feasts flavour building, lost spice flavors

Gruit herbs

The herb blend that flavoured ale before hops — sweet gale, yarrow, marsh rosemary. Use instead: Yarrow + a little heather or rosemary (1 tsp total per litre); A very small quantity of hops (A pinch). what did people drink middle ages, bread beer dawn agriculture

Lard

Rendered pork fat — once the everyday cooking fat of half the world, and still the secret of a flaky pie crust. Use instead: Cold butter (1:1); Half butter, half shortening (1:1 overall). lost ingredients grandmas pantry, 1950s recipes revival

Long pepper

Prized above black pepper for centuries, then squeezed out of the European market by cheaper trade. Use instead: Black pepper + a pinch of ground ginger (1:1 by volume, plus a pinch); Black pepper alone (Use about two-thirds as much). lost spice flavors, forgotten medieval feasts flavour building

Lovage

The celery-like herb Roman cooks adored, and which almost no shop sells. Use instead: Celery leaves (1:1); Celery seed (A pinch per tablespoon of leaves). lost ancient roman sauces, garum roman fish sauce

Nixtamalized maize (masa)

Ordinary cornmeal will not do: without the alkaline treatment the dough will not hold together, and the niacin stays locked in the grain. Use instead: Masa harina (1:1 with water, per the packet); Dried maize + food-grade calcium hydroxide (cal) (1 tsp cal per 500 g maize); Polenta or cornflour (—). what did aztecs eat daily food, beyond corn chili mesoamerican kitchens

Silphium

Harvested to extinction by late antiquity. This is the one ingredient on the site that genuinely cannot be bought at any price. Use instead: Asafoetida (hing) (A very small pinch); Asafoetida + a little garlic and leek (To taste). lost spice flavors, spice routes lost foods fallen empires tayi

Skyr

Technically a fresh cheese rather than a yoghurt — thick, mild and very high in protein. Use instead: Strained Greek yoghurt (1:1); Quark (1:1). viking longship rations cdjx

Stockfish

Air-dried cod, hard as a plank, needing days of soaking. Available, but rarely on a supermarket shelf. Use instead: Salt cod (bacalhau / baccalà) (1:1); Cold-smoked cod or haddock (1:1). viking longship rations cdjx, old world preservation

Suet

The hard fat from around the kidneys, and the reason a proper plum pudding has the texture it does. Use instead: Cold grated butter (1:1); Vegetable suet (1:1). victorian christmas dinner, lost ingredients grandmas pantry

Verjuice

The sour juice of unripe grapes — medieval Europe's everyday acid, pushed out of the shops by cheap lemons. Use instead: White wine + lemon juice (2 parts wine to 1 part lemon); Cider vinegar diluted with water (1 part vinegar to 2 parts water); Sour apple juice with a squeeze of lemon (To taste). forgotten medieval feasts flavour building, le viandier medieval france cookbook