SC - honey butter

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Stefan li Rous wrote:
> 
> Traci Winnon wrote:
> > Does anyone know how to make honey butter.  I am assuming that it is just
> > honey mixed with butter, but I am not sure.  Thank you in advance for any
> > help.
> 
> Not to be critical, as it is your choice and I like honey butter, but it's
> use in period does seem to be questionable. The subject of honey and herb
> butters has come up here several times in the past. So far, no one has
> come up with any definitive proof that it was used in period for normal
> eating. I think there was some possibility of honey butter being a
> medicinal however.

Make that, as far as I can recall, any proof at all, definitive or
otherwise. Anthimus, a physician writing in the early 6th century,
recommends a mixture of honey and butter for those suffering lung
complaints such as consumption. IIRC, he says the patient should recline
and lick the honey butter.

Offhand, I'm not aware of any other clear reference from a period source
as to what, exactly, was done with butter, other than appearing in
various non-meat-day menus and dishes, as an ingredient. 

The possibility exists that the whole bread-and-butter tradition was
limited to certain parts of Northern Europe until the sixteenth century:
I seem to recall reading somewhere that the English regarded the
practice as a pretty amusing quirk of Those Wacky Heugenots.

But, then, this is not what the lady asked... ;  )

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com