SC - sekanjabin relatives

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

>A nice basic sekanjabin recipe was recently posted, so I'll ask about
>something I've been looking for.  Now, mind you, the only reference I've
>seen was from the late 19th century.  It seems to be older and more
>importantly, it sounds tasty.
>
>It was a type of sekanjabin that used apple cider vinegar and ginger.  I
>don't know anything more about it aside from it was supposed to be good
>in the heat of summer and wouldn't cause cramping.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Morgana

SWITCHEL! I just unearthed my old clipping from an old farmer's 
almanac type thingy (unfortunately, i didn't save the pub. info or 
date, but i suspect it's from the early 1970's):

- ----- quote with recipe -----

Ask the Old Farmer:

As a kid, i remember a drink we had while haying. It was made of 
water, molasses, vinegar, plus. What was it called and can you give 
me the correct proportions for it ?S.H.R., Lima, Ohio

Switchel. Molasses, vinegar, a good slug of ginger and water from the 
nor'west corner of the well. No, no proportions. Whoever made it had 
to know how the old man wanted it to taste.

- ----- end quote -----

Some folks prefer honey, i suppose, but molasses has (or can have, 
depending on which kind you get - check the label - some kinds have 
very little iron) iron and other stuff in it...

Ooh, that reminds me - just made a fresh pot of coffee, so i can do 
my coffee with molasses and milk...

(sound of feet pattering into kitchen, liquid pouring into cup, spoon 
stirring, sound of feet returning)

OK, i'm back...

When i asked about switchel a few weeks ago, Sir Stefan li Rous 
referred me to his most excellent Florilegium
http://www.florilegium.org

In his collection, someone mentioned it is also called "twilsey" and 
someone else mentioned that it was drunk in Colonial America.

I found these there under "Beverages" under several different 
headings (there could be more i didn't find):

posted to the Rialto in 1991:
>        Switchel
>        This is not a syrup -- the honey IS a syrup. You just
>  make it up as you need it. I suggest the traditional unglazed
>  pottery jug to serve it from. It keeps it cooler.
>        1 gallon water
>        1 cup honey
>        1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
>        1 cup cider vinegar
>        Note, it will take some effort to mix it properly if
>  you are using cold water. try mixing the honey and vinegar first
>  and gradually adding the water, mixing all the while.
>        You can also make it with lemon juice instead of the
>  cider vinegar -- it has more vitamin C, but less potassium, I
>  wouldn't use it as a gatorade substitute except with the cider
>  vinegar.

- -----

from I. Marc Carlson:
>I'm afraid I have no such recipe.  On the other hand, I *do* have a recipe
>for a related drink, called Oxymel, which comes to us from the Romans, via
>the Anglo-Saxons.  It is also related to a Scandinavian drink called
>"Switchel".
>
>In it, essentially, one blends one part "Acetum", or a wine vinegar, with
>one (or more) parts honey to 4-40 parts water (and, if desired, a bit of
>salt).  Undistilled wine vinegar has, according to sources cited in "the
>History of Military Medicine" (by Richard Gabriel and Karen Metz), 
>all sorts of
>good minerals and electrolytes that are removed in the distillation process
>that make it extremely healthy, particularly after hot sweaty work. It is for
>this reason that the Roman military carried it in their canteens 
>(and some what
>changes the whole essence of the whole "giving Vinegar to Jesus 
>while he was on
>the Cross" bit).

- -----

from Honour/Alizaunde:
>         Switchel is specifically and solely a thirst-quencher. Despite its
>ubiquitous use, I've never found evidence of anyone serving it with a meal-
>always and only as `grab a swig and keep going' drink for people doing
>physical work. Given that caveat, here's the recipe:
>to one quart clean, room temperature water add:
>  - enough salt so that you can JUST taste the salt on the first sip 
>(start with
>a teaspoon)
>  - about one cup _cider or red wine_ vinegar, depending on the 
>strength (modern
>commercial vinegar usually runs more like 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
>  - enough honey so that the vinegar smell is not too obvious, nor 
>the taste too
>sour (Start with 1/2 cup.)
>         If some of the honey settles out after stirring well, pour off the
>dissolved part and use the undissolved honey in another batch.
>         Don't use white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or any other kind of
>unknown etiology. You need the potassium from the apples or grapes. If you
>have it, I was told that beer that has turned to vinegar works very nicely.
>(Go ahead and try it- just not on me!) (it just occurred to me that the
>right herbed vinegar might be really nice- though I haven't a shred of
>documentation for it.)
>         Like the original flavor of Gatoraide, this stuff tastes good only
>when you need it. Drink Switchel till it doesn't taste right, and you've
>replaced enough electrolytes to restore blood balance. Then switch to plain
>water to rehydrate.

Anahita al-shazhiyya