Tamal, Pisco (1829); Oh, Fudge

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HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OF TWENTY YEARS' RESIDENCE IN SOUTH AMERICA
by W. B. Stevenson
London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green
1829
In three volumes

VOLUME ONE
Pg. 369:
   After the paste is made from the boiled maize it is seasoned with salt and an abundance of (Pg. 370--ed.) capsicum, and a portion of lard is added: a quantity of this paste is then laid on a piece of plantain leaf, and some meat is put among it, after which it is rolled up in the leaf, and boiled for several hours.  This kind of pudding is called _tamal_, a _Quichua_ word, which inclines me to believe, that it is a dish known to the ancient inhabitants of the country.
(This beats OED's 1856 "tamal," from that other Olmsted fellow--ed.)

VOLUME TWO
Pg. 136:
   ...a roasted kid hot, boiled turkey cold, collared pig, ham and tongue, with butter, cheese and olives, besides which, wine and brandy, _pisco_, and several _liquers_ were on the table....

Pg. 315:
   The truth is, that the distilling of rum is a royal monopoly in Quito; whereas that of brandy is not so in Peru: thus, for the purpose of increasing the consumption of rum, which augments the royal revenue, brandy is one of the _pisco_ or _aguardiente_, contraband articles.
(OED has 1849 for "pisco"--ed.)

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OH, FUDGE

   Tomorrow, I'll take a day trip to Massachusetts to visit Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges.  I won't have much time--leave at five a.m., arrive at 10 a.m., leave at 5 p.m., get home 10 p.m.  However, if anyone has any research requests, please e-mail me.
   I'll be looking for Smith fudge, Deacon Porter's hat, and whether women are sexually satisfied by milk and crackers.
   (Oh sure, replace me with little elves from a hollow tree....)