[Sca-cooks] A college class... on Coffee

[Stefan li Rous]

Adamantius commented:
> >  Closest I've found to similar social act in period revolved around
> > the ale house. And well, there are other issues there...
>
> Bingo. On the other hand, one might consider the emotional attachment
> period people seem to have had with things like caudles and possets.
> They could be served to sick people, were drunk from cups held in two
> hands in front of a roaring fire, and often took the place of a meal.
> They could be drunk by people alone or at a party (OK, post period)
> at Samuel Pepys' house. It sounds a little like your communal
> coffee-drinking, with perhaps a comfort-food aspect to replace the
> caffeine, and no issue-clouding alcohol (or not much) in the equation.
However, I thought caudles and possets were mostly late period and 
post-period with the first documented ones being in the 16th century. 
Anyone know otherwise?

Although it was a holiday tradition and not an everyday thing, perhaps 
wassail is another, similar tradition. And that does go way back.

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 ****