SC - Food in high medieval theology (new book)

[Ann Sasahara]

Seton1355 at aol.com wrote:
> 
> Master A,
> Your soup sounds delightful and I can't wait to make it.  (I have to finish
> up the veg soup I made first tho')  Here;s another one for the soothing of
> colds.
> Phillipa
> PS:  I hope you feel better soon

Thank you! Actually, I'm the only one who doesn't have one, but I'll
pass your good wishes on to those who do.
 
> HARSHA'S SPICY CHICKEN SOUP

Cool! This looks like a mulligatawny without the dal. This is probably
something I'd make for myself and sneak portions of, now and then.

I'm interested in the medical aspects of some of these soups; I wonder
if the people (what, Indians or other Asians?) who created or inspired
this soup, would have thought it appropriate for a cold? The Chinese
herbal medicine system seems to be pretty close to what was practiced in
medieval Europe and the Mid-East, although the foods that are considered
heating or cooling, or the extent to which they do this, sometimes
differs. Of course, this is true of different medieval European medical
sources as well, even between different manuscript versions of Tacuinum
Sanitatis, for example.

The soup I made would be seen by Chinese doctors as having a moderately
cooling effect, good for mild fevers and for clearing the lungs of crud.
Your spicy soup would presumably be seen as having a heating effect,
which in extreme cases could still be useful for a cold in people with
cold, moist constitutions (what medieval Europeans would have classified
as phegmatic in nature), in the same way an expectorant cough syrup
generates phlegm in order to clear the lungs.

I suspect, though, in the end, it's the easily digested protein, being
in a nice warm kitchen, breathing a little steam, and knowing somebody
loves you enough to cook chicken soup for you, are what helps with colds.

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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