Jance

From Taillevent, Le viandier (Paris, 1392; recipe from 1892 edition): To make jance, hull almonds and pound them in a mortar, then strain them with verjuice and white wine and then take an ounce of ginger for a pint, strain and restrain the sauce through a tamis sieve; let it simmer in a pan for a very short time and, at once, put in a crock, otherwise it will taste of tin, and do not boil it in an iron pan because it will discolor.

Jance is one of those ancient names like hot pot and salamagundy that can cover a huge range of dishes. The name is related to jaune, or “yellow,” so it is surprising that Taillevent does not use saffron to color his recipe. His version I take to be a sauce that would have been served with roast meats or poultry. Also surprising, Taillevent mentions a couple of measurements—an ounce and a pint—but they mean little as no other quantities are given. In any case, in early times weights varied from region to region and even town to town.