[Sca-cooks] The great Medieval water myth

[Sharon Palmer]

>when they did
>drink it did  things like freezing or heating it to make it "special". Not
>always the case,  but an interesting observation as far as it goes. >>>

I recently translated the Water page in Rumpolt. 
It mostly concerns the use of water in the 
kitchen, but also drinking water.  He mentions 
heating water to a simmer and cooling it again.

Von art/ natur vnd eygenschafft deß Wassers.
Of the art/ nature/ and inborn quality of Water

Since one can not dispense with water in the 
kitchen/ I can not fail/ to vnterlassen (inform 
advise?) of the art/ nature and inborn quality of 
water/
Per ENHG: unterlassen = to omit, fail to do, be wanting

denn sonder Wasser/ Wein vnd Essig/ keine Küch erhalten kan werden.

because without water/ wine and vinegar/ no cook 
can erhalten s(urvive, succeed ?).
per ENHG: erhalten = obtain, sustain

But the water can be known through three types of 
art and sense/ namely/ the appearance/ taste and 
smell.
The appearance of it should be pure/ clear and 
transparent/ the taste should be sweet/ not foul 
swampy smell/
therefor all the water/ which has a sour/ sharp/ 
over-salted taste/ as of sulphur and Nitro 
(soda?)/ it is harmful and unhealthy to use as a 
natural drink.

One should observe the natural springs/ that they 
stretch themselves from the headwaters/ also 
spread themselves through a clean soil/ 
leichtlich (easy) to warm and chill/ and in 
summer cold/ in winter warmlecht (hot, warmish??).

The rainwater is leichtesten (lightest)/ then the 
spring water/ and that from flowing streams/ and 
the last from dank standing water

Per ENHG, leicht = (of food) light, easily digestible.

and of all the schwerest (heaviest, strongest?) 
is melted snow water/ swamp murky pools and 
streams.

Wherefore have care/ about what you will need for 
water in the kitchen/ Also to make beer from/ and 
the like/

All water is cold and damp by Nature/ and that 
water will be yet colder/ should it simmer/ and 
cool again/ that is the coldest water of all.

Ranvaig