[Sca-cooks] More Russian black bread....

[Stefan li Rous]

Brandu commented:
> Speaking of birch could you ask Alexey about a reference I ran across
> (researching the "Muscovy Company" in Elizabethan England) that then
> Muscovites drank a "meade" ( usually meaning any general mildly alcoholic
> drink ) made from Birch Sap?  That is all I have, but I want to recreate the
> drink, and need more info. Also any other reference to birch (or maple) sap
> used as a sweetener.

Still looking are we, Brandu? :-)


I went to find what I had in the Florilegium on birch sap as a

sweetener for Brandu and found the following message. Sorry Brandu,
I've got nothing new to add since two years ago.

Please let me know if you ever find some evidence that isn't also

posted where I will see it, like here.

Unfortunately, this birch sap may be similar to maple sap in that it
requires a precise set of climatic conditions to create the good stuff.
So this may mean that you can't simply tap the nearest birch and experiment
until you get it right. For instance, maple trees that bear sap that
makes good syrup have been grown in Europe where they have not created
useable or as good a sap for sugar or syrup making.

Maple sugar was until the mid-19th century (I think) more common in the US
than maple syrup due to the greater difficulty in transporting the syrup.
Recently I did manage to find, and buy, a small package of maple sugar.


Stefan
--
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris            Austin, Texas         StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****

> Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2000 09:11:53 -0500
> From: "Jeff Gedney" <JGedney at dictaphone.com>
> Subject: Re: SC - Cuskeynoles
>
> <snip>
>
> BTW, Stefan, re: the discussion we had earlier on Maple Syrup... I have not
> been able to find the reference that will back up my assertions.
> Please note this in the Floriligium file where you have posted my earlier
> messages. I do not want my assertions to be used as a reference
> until I can back it up.
> I do know that the Elizabethan English were aware of a Russian drink
> made from the sap of the Birch tree, well in period. This was noted in
> the letters of the Muscovy Company, and is excerpted in Hakluyts "Voyages"
> which was published in the late 1500's.
> Perhaps I am confusing the two references. I am no longer sure. I will
> continue to try to find the reference I was thinking of.
>
> brandu