1730 prune & tamarind tart

Heavy spice use entered English cookery in medieval times with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and saffron often bound with honey in dishes. By the 1700s, sugar was in vogue, expanding cooks’ repertoires into splendid puddings. This recipe is based on one in Charles Carter’s The Complete Practical Cook of 1730 and shows off imports of the day: prunes from Spain, Caribbean sugar, mace from Indonesia, cinnamon from Sri Lanka and tamarind shipp