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frequently mentioned. The process of seasoning food was almost similar to what we find today, i.e. the clarified butter was heated in a large spoon (kaḍacchuya), and then the spices like asafoetida and cummin etc. were fried in it. The spices were freely used in preparing various soups (surpa)2 and sauces. Amongst these temaņas or soup prepared with curd, and a sauce prepared with dry ginger and sugar* have been mentioned.
5
Oil and Oil-seeds-Oil (tella) was used as a substitute for butter or ghee. Various types of oil-seeds like atasi (Linum Usitatissimum, linseed), eranda (Ricinus Communis, castorseed), ingudi (Ximenia Aegyptiaca), sarsapa (Brassica Campesbri, mustard)s, and tila (Sesamum Indicum) are mentioned. Oil must have been extracted out of these seeds. Sesamum oil (kharasanha) was widely used, and pinnaya (Skt. pinyaka) is especially mentioned as a sweet prepared from the viscous sediment of sesamum in which guḍa and sesamum oil was also mixed,10 Mustard oil was fairly used. Yuan Chwang also found that mustard oil was in common use.
MATERIAL CULTURE
Fruits and Vegetables-A large variety of fruits and vegetables were used by the people, some of which have been referred to in our text. The following fruits have been mentioned: (i) amalaka (Emblic Myrobalan)11, (ii) amra, aṁba or rasala
1. खारो लोणं छुब्भर कडच्छुते घयं ताविज्जति, तत्थ जीरगादि छुब्भति, तेण जं धूवियं feaf-NC. 2, p. 251; Brh. Vr. 2, p. 473.
2. NC. 3, p. 159.
3. NC. 2, p. 251.
4. NC. 3, p. 159.
5.
6. NC. 2, p. 109.
7. तेल्लं एरंडादि --NC. 3, p. 159.
-NC. 3, p. 159; also NC. 4, p.115.
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8. NC. 4, p. 153.
9. NC. 2, p. 109.
10. असति घस्स खरसण्हगुलमिस्सो पिण्णाओ घेत्तव्वो - NC. 4, p. 115.
11. NC. 1, p. 162.
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