SC - Cranberries?

[Philip & Susan Troy]

I keep looking for non-alcoholic drinks that would have been available
in Northern Italy in the early-mid 16th Century. Of course most of
what I come up with goes right back to Platina (until I can put my
non-existant Italian Language skills to work on Christoforo
Messisbugo's "Libro Nova"). Platina does have a few recipes for
medicinal drinks, which are reminiscent of a soup or tea.

He gives some indication about fruit juice drinks, but I cannot be
certain if he means only wine, or he would include fruit juice here as
well. From his section On Grapes: "Some are pleased to liken it to a
berry, like the ivy berry and the elderberry; It is not dissimilar to
these, if only because it is not lacking in vines, and may be easily
made into a drink, if Columella is to be believed." My thoughts would
be he is referring to fruit wines. (An interesting note here is that
Platina next proceeds to give instructions for growing seedless
grapes.) He does go on later in that section to discuss different
types of grapes and the wines produced from them. A bit later in the
section he does say this, however; "Take grapes from the vine and boil
river water until it is reduced to a third and put them together in a
jar that has been well plastered so that no air can get in. Then put
this in a cool place where the sun cannot reach the grapes. And
whenever you want them, you will find them fresh; If you wish, you may
give the same water to a sick person for a sweet water.

>From Platina's section "On Citrus"; "No drink is more outstanding than
that of this fruit, of ever importunate stepmothers want to be rid of
someone; they blend herbs and poisonous words...When ground up and
given as a drink in wine, it cures liver and spleen disturbances." He
continues on with may other fruits, usually offering that their juice
is helpful in some way when mixed with wine as a drink.

We do have available to us "On Milk", however. "Goat milks is
considered best because it is very good for the stomach, takes away
obstructions of the liver and loosens the bowels. Next best is sheeps'
milk, and after that cow's milk. Milk is better in spring than in
summer, and in summer better than in autumn or in winder. It should be
drunk on and empty stomach, just as it comes from the udder, or else
slightly warmed; and one should not eat any other food until the milk
has settled int he stomach. In spring or summer it is less harmful
drunk as a first course as curds, for taken after a meal (as is often
the custom) either spoils immediately or draws all other undigested
food with it to the bottom...When drunk either with sugar or with
honey, it is kept from spoiling and should be taken, as I said, on a
clean and empty stomach because it is often easily converted into
those humors that principally seize upon the place where food
settles."

Apparently verjuice could be served as a drink, as well. "Verjuice is
very good for an unsettled or hot stomach and those who are thirsty."

Finally, and I know you are all hoping I would finally shut-up, I will
skip over the medicinal-style teas and soups and go to Platina's main
reference to a drink. "On Wine. A supper or lunch without drink is
considered not only disagreeable, but indeed unwholesome, for a
draught for a thirsty man is more pleasing than food for a hungry man,
and more delightful. It is necessary to moisten food and to cool the
lungs, so that what we consume is better worked and digested.
Androchides, writing to Alexander, restraining his intemperance,
called wine the blood of the earth which, when taken internally, has
the virtue of warming and moistening, and when applied externally, of
cooling and drying. Now its virtue is warm and moist, so Homer called
it Aithopa Oinon because it has the element of warmth. Thus it is that
nothing succors weary bodies more readily, if taken in moderation;
Nothing, however, is more harmful if there is no restraint. For
because of drunkenness, men become trembling, weighed down, pallid,
foul with impurities, forgetful, bleary-eyed, sterile, slow to beget,
gray-haired, bald and old before their time. Therefore there must be
some limit, according to the age and season of the year. It is the
opinion of Celsus that as one eats more in winter and drinks less, but
undiluted wine, so in summer by drinking very diluted wine, the thirst
is taken away to keep the body from burning; and as in spring we
combine with our food a thinner drink, so in Autumns, as we enjoy a
little more substantial food, we drink less, but more undiluted wine.
Especially to old folk, a purer draught should be given; To children,
more diluted, and to youth and those of middle age, a medium amount. A
draught should likewise be taken according to the quality of the
region and the body. Those living in cold locales should drink more
undiluted wine. Those in warm places, more diluted; In temperate
places, they should drink in moderation. Those of sanguine
constitution should drink diluted wine, those sorely vexed with bile
should drink their wine unmixed. Those who are phlegmatic should drink
sour wine. Pliny affirms that there are three kinds of wine: the sour,
the sweet and the thin...White wines, if thin, or not too undiluted,
are more easily digested than the red."

He goes on, but I've probably blabbed on too long already. Hopefully
someone will find this stuff as fascinating as I do. :-)


Honos Servio,
Lionardo Acquistapace, Barony of Bjornsborg, Ansteorra
(mka Lenny Zimmermann, San Antonio, TX)
zarlor at acm.org
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