[Sca-cooks] what's a tisana?

[Terry Decker]

If cereal is actually called for, it is likely either barley or wheat, the 
preferred grains of Rome.  Since you are using the Vehling translation, you 
don't have the original text and my copy of the F&R translation has gone 
walkabout.  Given the Latin definitions I have, I would say the name of the 
dish is related to the crushing rather than to the cereal used.

Bear


> Okay, then the cereal being used is, what, here?  If this is pre- the time
> period where tisana refers to barley.....?
>
> On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:59 AM, Terry Decker <t.d.decker at att.net> wrote:
>
>> The Latin "tisana" derives from the Greek "ptissein" meaning "to crush."
>> Somewhere between Old French and Middle English, it becomes "ptisane,"
>> meaning a medical infusion (of which barley water is one such infusion), 
>> and
>> "tisane," referring to "peeled barley" or "barley water."  Apicius is in
>> Latin from no later than the 5th Century.  Old French dates from the 9th
>> Century.  The Apician reference is obviously from the earlier Latin 
>> usage.
>>
>> Bear
>>
>>
>> It appears to be a soup, not a tisane.
>>>
>>> [173] ANOTHER TISANA *TISANA TARICHA *[1]
>>>
>>> THE CEREAL [2] IS SOAKED; CHICKPEAS, LENTILS AND PEAS ARE CRUSHED AND
>>> BOILED
>>> WITH IT; WHEN WELL COOKED, ADD PLENTY OF OIL. NOW CUT GREEN HERBS, 
>>> LEEKS,
>>> CORIANDER, DILL, FENNEL, BEETS, MALLOWS, CABBAGE STRUNKS, ALL SOFT AND
>>> GREEN
>>> AND FINELY CUT, AND PUT IN A POT. THE CABBAGE COOK [separately. Also]
>>> CRUSH
>>> FENNEL SEED, ORIGANY, SYLPHIUM AND LOVAGE, AND WHEN CRUSHED, ADD BROTH 
>>> TO
>>> TASTE, POUR THIS OVER THE PORRIDGE, STIR IT TOGETHER AND USE SOME FINELY
>>> CHOPPED CABBAGE STEMS TO SPRINKLE ON TOP [2].
>>> From
>>> Apicius
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ian of Oertha