‘The travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle, a noble Roman, into East-India and Arabia Deserta. In which, the several countries, together with the customs, manners, traffique, and rites both religious and civil, of those Oriental princes and nations, are faithfully described: In familiar letters to his friend Signior Mario Schipano. Whereunto is added a relation of Sir Thomas Roe’s voyage into the East-Indies’ [‎408] (429/508)

A Voyage to E A S T-IN DI A, &€.
otheiand every one of us had his (everal mefs. The Ambaf-
fadour had more difhes by tenj and I lefs by ten, than our en
tertainer hadj yet for my part I had fifty difties. They were
all fet before us at,once, and little paths left betwikt them, that
our entertainers fervants ( for otiely they waited ) might come
and reach them to us one after another;, and fo they did. So that
I taftedof all fet before me, andofmoft did but tafte, though
all bf them tafted very well.
ISow of the provifion it felf, for our larger diftieS;, they wete
filled with Rice 3 drefled (as before defcrib'd.) And this Rice
was prefented to us, fome of it white 3 in its own proper colour,
fome of it made yellow with Saffrdn, and fome of it was made
green', and fome of it put into a purple colour, but by what
Ingredient I know not, but thi ^iamfure, that it all tafted very
well -. And with Rice thus ordered, feveral of our difhes were
furrtilhed, and very many more of them with fiefla of ftveral
kinds, and with Hens, and with other fort of Fowl cut in pieces,
as before I obfetved in their Indian Cookery.
i: To thefe we had many Jellies,' and Culices 5 Rice ground to
flower, and then boyled, and after fweetned with Sugar -Candy
and Ro(e-Water tp be eaten cold. The flower of Ricefningled
with fweet Almonds, made as fmall as they could, and with
fome of the mod flcftiy parts of Hens ftewed with it, and after
the flefti (bbeaten into pieces, that it could not be difcern d, all
niitde fweet with Rofe-Water and Sugar-Candy , and fented
With Amber-brCece ; this was another of our difties, and a moll:
luftious one, which the Tortugals call IMangee Real J "Food for a
King. Many other difhes we had, made up in Cakes of feveral
forms, of the fineft of the wheat-flower, mingled with Almonds
and Sugar-Candy, whereof (bme were fented, and Ibme not.
To thefe Potatoes excellently well dreffed, and to thetn divers
Sallads, and the curious frutts of that Country, fon?ej)/cftrved
in Sugar, and others raw, and to thefe many Roots (^ahdied.
Almonds blanched, Raifons of the Sun 5 Prunellas, and I know
not what, of all enough to make up thiat number of difhes
before named j and with thefe quelque chafe, was that entertain
ment made up.
And it was better a great deal, than if it had confifled of
full and heaped up difhes, fuch as arefometimes amongfl: us pro
vided, for great and profufe entertainments. Our Bread wasof
—... * m
round Cakes 5 and for our Drink, fome of it was brew 'd for
ought I know, e^er fince Noah his Floods that good innocent
water, being all the Drink there commonly ufed ( as before)
and in thofe hot Climates (it being better digefted there than
in any other partsj it is very fweet, and allayes thirft better
than any other Liquor can, and therefore better pleafeth, and
agreeth better with every Man that comes and lives there, than
any other Drink.
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