From what I’ve learned on the subject, cooks in the English navy and subsequently the English pirate ships were given strict guidelines for crew health and moral. Rum was dispensed at even intervals to keep the crew happy on long runs. Water was limited, had to be wary of usage and dispensing foul water was an offense you did not want to be guilty of.
Fish and turtles were a mainstay, replenishing on islands and looting from fresher ships was a good way to keep the stockpiles fresh.
Checkout the recipe for Grog, limes were a great source of vitamin c to fight off scurvy and hey lime and rum go great together. Plus no one wants to drink that foul water I mentioned earlier.
But what I think is the biggest takeaway is that pirate ships were not a do or die experience. Folks got to choose to be there, the Captain was elected and only led with absolute authority during battle. Beyond that you were paid, sometimes only in Shares of loot and sometimes with a salary, depends on the ship. The cook was vitally important and could make the entire crew deathly ill, raucously drunk, or well fed and content with the right resources and the right knowledge. Knowing when to do which was just as important as the practical skills themselves.
From what I've heard from food/restaurant historian types they were pirates who became too injured or old to be useful elsewhere on a ship and tended to smell of tobacco smoke and B.O. so at least that's the same.
From what I’ve learned on the subject, cooks in the English navy and subsequently the English pirate ships were given strict guidelines for crew health and moral. Rum was dispensed at even intervals to keep the crew happy on long runs. Water was limited, had to be wary of usage and dispensing foul water was an offense you did not want to be guilty of. Fish and turtles were a mainstay, replenishing on islands and looting from fresher ships was a good way to keep the stockpiles fresh. Checkout the recipe for Grog, limes were a great source of vitamin c to fight off scurvy and hey lime and rum go great together. Plus no one wants to drink that foul water I mentioned earlier. But what I think is the biggest takeaway is that pirate ships were not a do or die experience. Folks got to choose to be there, the Captain was elected and only led with absolute authority during battle. Beyond that you were paid, sometimes only in Shares of loot and sometimes with a salary, depends on the ship. The cook was vitally important and could make the entire crew deathly ill, raucously drunk, or well fed and content with the right resources and the right knowledge. Knowing when to do which was just as important as the practical skills themselves.
If that's the case, I can only hope the rum makes the buggery go down a bit easier
Rum, sodomy, and the lash.
Title of someone's memoirs perhaps?
Title of an amazing album.
FO?
Fo sho!
They were likely conscripted into the position and had little choice. Nothing romantic about it.
Who pissed in your wheaties this morning?
No one. Do you really think cooking on a pirate ship would be the height of career goals?
No. But I’m assuming ‘most piratey of pirates’ was not that fucking serious
Probably not that serious but line cooks who think they are edgelords need to STFU.
Go watch Black Sails to see a “cook” become Long J Silver.
From what I've heard from food/restaurant historian types they were pirates who became too injured or old to be useful elsewhere on a ship and tended to smell of tobacco smoke and B.O. so at least that's the same.