[Sca-cooks] Festival of the Rose: Menu

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> > Unsweetened herb tea would be a lot more period.
> Maybe. I'm not sure we have that much info on these being drunk in
> period, other than perhaps medically. I have one small file, but I'd
> love to see more. Also, I wonder if such herbal teas or infusions
> would have been drunk at a feast. I suspect it would be like
> plain water, drunk occasionally especially if the only thing around,
> but not something you would offer guests at a feast, lest you be
> thought stingy.

Yes, I agree with Stefan that I doubt that either infusions of herbs or
jalaps (syrups dissolved in water, of which sekanjabin is a type) were
likely to be offered to healthy people.

You could go the jalap route, though, and just not use sekanjabin (Many
people's objection to the sekanjabin is the vinegar content, which
European syrups don't seem to have; you could also try oxymel).  There are
sugar-free syrups out there (I got one to try at a discount store, just
haven't had a chance to get to it).

There's a ginger 'tea' available in chinese stores which seems to be
powdered ginger and sweetner, sort of like the rumored ginger drink of
[Digby? Plat? Why can't I remember?]

-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
jenne at fiedlerfamily.net OR jenne at tulgey.browser.net OR jahb at lehigh.edu
"Are you finished? If you're finished, you'll have to put down the spoon."