SC - coffee/tea/herbal infusions

[Robyn.Hodgkin at mailhost.dpie.gov.au]

Certainly herbal infusions have been used for centuries, although
less for pleasure than for medicinal purposes.

Gerard's herbal contains all that you could desire to know on
what herb was used in which way.  Certainly some would have
become part of a daily routine (for example those herbs with
properties to minimise fertility).  Gerards was, I believe, published
some 5 years OOP, so is pretty close to period.

I also have a copy of a "Mrs Beetons" of the 16thC at home,
which I can check tonight..

I would strongly recommend though, using a modern herbal
encyclopedia in concord with Gerards, as Gerard may list
something as great for "bringing on a woman's courses" which
in a modern herbal says "ABORTIFICANT - DO NOT GIVE TO
PREGNANT WOMEN"

I know that Meliora reads this list:  Mel, can you give us some
info from Gerards?

Kiriel
 ----------
From: angeliq1 at erols.com
To: sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG
Subject: Re: SC - coffee/tea
Date: Tuesday, 3 February 1998 2:25PM

david friedman wrote:
>
> At 9:38 AM -0500 1/31/98, Woeller D wrote:
> >> "Tea" in this discussion means an infusion based on tea leaves. That is
> >>its original meaning, with the extension to other infusions derivative
> >>from that.
> >> Off hand I cannot think of any European infusion recipes, which
> >>certainly does not mean they do not exist. There are lots of Islamic
> >>recipes for drinks that are essentially infusions in syrup, to be
> >>diluted.
> >> David/Cariadoc
> >> http://www.best.com/~ddfr/
> >
> >I thought the practice of taking a 'tisane', or steeped herbal drink,
> >both for digestion and for general health/pleasure was a very old
> >practice?
> >Angelique
>
> Could be. Do you have any period references to it or recipes for such
drinks?
>
> David Friedman

No. Just Grandma, explaining herbal remedies, and telling me that it was
a centuries old tradition- boiling water poured over crushed herbs that
have, or are reputed to have, various healing properties. But while the
infusions were meant for healing, I've always found excuses to drink the
ones that tasted best. So I'm not talking from any period knowledge
base, here, just assuming that a period young woman might have done the
same, were she schooled in how to make those 'tisanes', for household
healing (Also, some are for general health, and could reasonably be
taken with each meal, or daily). (And maybe they didn't call them
tisanes,- Grandma did) And while I cannot vouch for periodicity, as I
will determine the ingredients myself, using what I know will work and
considering what is on hand, (much as I figure my period counterpart
would do)if you would care to let me know what kind of remedy/healing
property you would like to invoke, I will prepare a recipe for you.
I do realise that these would probably not be used for a feast, as the
remedy offered would have to change for each individual, depending upon
their condition, unless a general digestive were to be offered, and even
then, I'm not sure. I would think it might be something appropriate to
offer in camp (throat remedies, calming, digestive). Just wanted to
offer alternatives. Sorry I suffer from a dearth of documentation- it
was taught verbally.
Angelique

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