[Sca-cooks] Alexey's answer to Brandu (birch sap)

[Stefan li Rous]

Brandu said:
> There is also a delicate drinke drawn from the root of the birch tree,
> called in the Russe tongue Berozevites, which drinke the noble men and
> others use in Aprill, May, and June, which are the three moneths of the
> spring time: for after those moneths, the sappe of the tree dryeth, and then
> they cannot have it. "

Interesting. I thought that it might be referring to using chunks of
the root rather than draining off some of the sap. Isn't that what is
done with sassafras? But it also talks about the sap drying and then
they can't have it. Would a drier wood make using root chunks more
difficult or impossible? Anyone made sassafras tea? Are there limitations
in making that on not being able to do this in the summer?


> I give it to you, Philip, dear, because I thought he might like the
> references himself.  There is a LOT more on the manners and customs of the
> Muscovites. If Alexey would like more of that, I'd be happy to extract it
> and forward it to you.

Thank you, Brandu. I appreciate seeing this. If you have more time, I
would love to have more of these tidbits for my fd-Russia-msg file.

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


--
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 ****