[Sca-cooks] How old are drinking straws?

[Bronwynmgn at aol.com]

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In a message dated 9/24/2001 12:51:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
mark.s.harris at motorola.com writes:


> That made me wonder just how early drinking straws are?
> Were they used in medieval times? Even if used in Classical
> times this wouldn't necessarily indicate use in the Middle Ages.
> Anyone know? While of course plastic ones are modern they
> can be made of other materials, paper, metal, glass, reeds.
>

There are some metal straws apparently used for drinking sacramental wine in
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  I'm afraid I don't remember
exactly what century or culture they are from, but they were in the medieval
rooms.  I believe the theory had something to do with it being sacrilegious
to spill even a drop of consecrated wine, and the straw helped prevent
spilling.

Brangwayna Morgan