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- Title:
- Pigafetta’s Elephant Ride
- Description:
- In addition to roasting and cooking in a clay pot, Pigafetta identified a third cooking procedure practised in 1521: baking. It is first mentioned as the way cakes of rice and millet wrapped in leaves were made. The cakes were part of the ritual to consecrate a pig for sacrifice. Likely the thickly wrapped cakes were baked inside mounds of hot ash, even the remains of fires used for roasting. (The beehive oven was introduced much later.) While sailing in southern waters he arrived at Borneo. On June 15, 1521 three praus from there brought foods including rice wrapped in leaves. Some resembled sugar loaves in size and shape; others were somewhat longish. There was also rice made in the manner of tarts using egg and honey. He was fetched later by 2 elephants with silk trappings to bring him to and from the Borneo king. The elephants were preceded by a dozen men carrying porcelain jars covered with silk and containing the crew’s gifts. Borneo is really close geographically to the Philippines. One wonders if it is true that the Sultan of Sulu had elephants, their 2 progenitors a gift from the ruler of Java that is also nearby. Dwarf elephants lived on Luzon 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago. Possibly on Panay, too. They may have been the size of a dog like my rottweiller. ctto “Siamese Army on the March” 1893. Wild elephants were tamed into service as beasts of burden for agriculture, transportation, and even warfare.
- Subjects:
- Antonio Pigafetta Sultan of Sulu King of Borneo baking Luzon Panay
- Exhibition:
- Magellan Menu
- Type:
- Image;Still Image
- Format:
- image/png
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- "Pigafetta’s Elephant Ride", Philippine Food History, Felice P. Sta. Maria
- Reference Link:
- felicepstamaria.net/items/coll028.html