Sekanjabin: Medieval Persian Mint Drink (Sweet & Sour Sharbat Recipe)

Sekanjabin: Medieval Persian Mint Drink

Originally published September 14, 2015. Updated June 7, 2026.

Sekanjabin, also spelled sikanjabin, sekanjubin, or sikandjabin, is one of those wonderfully practical historic drinks that still makes perfect sense in a modern kitchen. At its simplest, it is a sweet-and-sour syrup made from vinegar and sugar or honey, then diluted with water before serving. Add mint, and the result is sharp, refreshing, fragrant, and very welcome on a hot day.

This is a drink many people first encounter at SCA events, camping weekends, and outdoor feasts. It is inexpensive, easy to make in quantity, and simple to transport as a syrup. The concentrate can be diluted as needed, which makes it especially useful for camp cooking or feast service. Vinegar in a drink may sound surprising at first, but when balanced with sugar and water, it becomes bright and cooling rather than harsh.

The recipe below is adapted from An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century, translated by David Friedman. The historic recipe is for a simple sikanjabîn syrup, also called an oxymel, made from vinegar and sugar or honey. The mint version commonly served today is a modern adaptation inspired by this family of medieval sweetened vinegar drinks.

Medieval Spiced Pomegranate Drink (Historical Pomegranate Syrup Recipe)

Medieval Spiced Pomegranate Drink (Historical Pomegranate Syrup Recipe)

When people think of medieval beverages, the first things that often come to mind are ale, beer, mead, and wine. Those drinks certainly belonged at many medieval tables, but they were not the whole story. Medieval cooks also prepared fruit syrups, herbal drinks, spiced waters, medicinal beverages, and cooling drinks that could be diluted with water when needed. These are the drinks that fascinate me as a feast cook, because they solve so many modern event problems while remaining beautifully rooted in historical practice.

This medieval spiced pomegranate drink is one of my favorite syrups to serve at feast. It is bright, tart, lightly spiced, beautifully colored, and always well received. It gives guests a festive non-alcoholic option that feels intentional rather than like an afterthought.

Feast Cook Wisdom: I love syrups for feast because they are inexpensive to make, easy to transport, and can be added to water to taste. A small bottle can flavor a surprising amount of beverage, and guests can decide whether they want a delicate hint of fruit or a stronger, richer drink.

This recipe is based on a pomegranate syrup from An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century. The syrup is very similar in concept to grenadine, though homemade pomegranate syrup has a deeper, more complex flavor than most commercial grenadine available today. Where modern grenadine is often very sweet and brightly colored, this syrup keeps the tart edge of pomegranate and balances it with sugar and, in my version, a little warm spice.

Medieval Lemon & Ginger Syrups for Feasts and Summer Drinks

Medieval Lemon and Ginger Syrups for Feasts and Event Drinks

Originally published: May 16, 2022
Updated: May 13, 2026

Lemons illustrated in the Tacuinum Sanitatis, a medieval health and horticultural manuscript tradition rooted in Arabic medical writing.

Drink syrups are one of my favorite practical ways to bring flavor to a feast, camping event, or outdoor gathering. They are easy to transport, take up very little room, and can be diluted “to taste” with plain water. They also solve one of the ongoing feast-planning problems: how to offer something more interesting than water without hauling gallons of finished beverage.

These syrups are especially useful at events because refrigeration is not absolutely necessary for short-term use. The high sugar content helps preserve the syrup, and the syrup is carried as a concentrate rather than as a ready-to-drink beverage. I still refrigerate mine when I am storing them at home, but for day events, camping weekends, and feast tables, they are wonderfully portable. They are, in practical terms, little bottles of sunshine and spice.

The lemon syrup below comes from the drink section of Cariadoc’s Miscellany, where it is identified as a recipe from a 13th-century Andalusian cookbook. The original recipe is beautifully simple: lemon juice and sugar cooked together until syrupy. The ginger syrup included here is one I have used at events for many years, though I am still uncertain of its original source. If anyone recognizes the attribution, please let me know so I can credit it properly.

If you are interested in other drink syrups that have been served at past events, please visit: What to Drink? Four Drink Syrups for Recreation Feasts.

How to Make Violet Syrup — Medieval to Modern Color-Changing Spring Cordial

Green, Magenta and Lavender Violet Syrup
Originally published 5/15/2015. Updated 11/15/2025.

Violet syrup is one of the oldest and loveliest floral syrups found in European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions. Used historically to ease coughs, cool fevers, soothe sore throats, and delight the eye, violet syrup has remained surprisingly unchanged across the centuries.

To make the best syrup, choose the deepest-colored sweet violets you can find. The infusion pulls its color directly from the petals—so the darker the bloom, the more vivid your syrup will be. Most North American violets lack fragrance, and that’s perfectly fine; the flavor comes from the infusion itself.

And yes—it really does change color! Add lemon juice and it turns a brilliant magenta. Add rosewater or another alkaline ingredient and it becomes green. Historically, violets were even used as a natural pH test long before litmus paper was invented.

Almond Milk in the Middle Ages — History, Humors & Culinary Uses

Ground almonds mixed with water – the basis of almond milk, a medieval staple.

Almond Milk in the Middle Ages — History, Humors & Uses

Originally Published 11/10/2015 / Updated 10/1/2025

“The more things change, the more they remain the same.” That phrase feels especially true when we look at almond milk. Today, we reach for it as a dairy-free alternative in lattes or smoothies. In the Middle Ages, cooks turned to it for many of the same reasons: dietary restrictions, health, and versatility.

Almond milk appears in nearly every major medieval cookbook — from the English Forme of Cury (c. 1390) to French texts like Le Viandier. Whether thickened into custards, stirred into pottages, or sweetened for desserts, it was a foundational ingredient in European kitchens from the 13th–15th centuries. Understanding almond milk helps unlock a whole category of medieval recipes.

Origins & Spread of Almonds

The almond tree (Prunus dulcis) is native to the regions of modern-day Iran and Central Asia. Cultivation spread westward along trade networks into Persia and the Mediterranean by the first millennium BCE. The Greeks and Romans knew almonds well — Roman authors like Pliny the Elder mention them, and they were commonly served at banquets.

Through Roman expansion and later Arab influence in Spain and Sicily, almonds became established throughout southern Europe. By the 9th–10th centuries, almond-based dishes appear in Arabic medical and culinary texts, praised both for flavor and for their gentle, “cooling” effect in humoral medicine.

Almonds on the Move: From Orchard to Feast Table

• Italy & France: Almonds were cultivated in Mediterranean orchards and imported inland. French and Italian manuscripts from the 13th–14th centuries make frequent use of almond milk in sauces, custards, and pottages.
• England & Germany: By the late Middle Ages, almonds were arriving in northern ports like London, Lübeck, and Hamburg. They were expensive imports, sometimes listed alongside spices and sugar in customs rolls. Their cost gave them a dual role: practical (for fast days) but also a marker of wealth and status when used lavishly in feasts.
• Monastic & noble kitchens: Monasteries, bound by fasting rules, relied heavily on almond milk. Nobles embraced it for both practical and prestigious reasons, often specifying “thick” almond milk in their cookery books.

In this way, the humble almond traveled thousands of miles — from Asian orchards to English feasting halls — and almond milk became one of the most common “dairy substitutes” in medieval Europe.

Why Almond Milk Was Essential

• Religious fasting: Animal milk was prohibited on fast days. Almond milk allowed cooks to create “dairy-like” dishes during Lent and other observances.
• Shelf life: Fresh cow’s milk spoiled quickly. Almonds, stored dry, could be turned into fresh milk on demand.
• Status & luxury: Almonds were imported and costly, signaling refinement at noble tables.
• Versatility: Used in both savory and sweet contexts — soups, sauces, blancmange, custards, even beverages.

Almonds & Humoral Theory

In Galenic medicine, almonds were considered “hot and moist.” Almond milk, tempered with water, was thought gentler on the stomach than cow’s milk and was prescribed for the sick or those with delicate digestion. This idea echoes modern perceptions of almond milk as “lighter” and easier to digest.

How It Was Made

Medieval almond milk was made almost exactly as we do today:

1. Soak whole almonds, then grind them to a paste with a mortar and pestle.
2. Mix with warm water, wine, or broth depending on the recipe.
3. Strain through cloth to produce a smooth liquid.

The ratio determined the thickness. Recipes often call for “thick” almond milk when a rich base was needed, or a thinner version for soups and sauces. Sweetening with sugar, honey, or rosewater was common, while savory versions might use broth or even wine.

Uses in Medieval Cookery

• Savory: In sauces like Rapeye, in fish pottages, or as the base for meatless soups.
• Sweet: In blancmange, rice puddings, and custards.
• Feasts: Almond milk was prepared in large quantities ahead of service — much like we buy cartons today.

Then & Now

The parallels are striking:

• Medieval: fasting, shelf-stable, luxury, versatile.
• Modern: vegan/dairy-free, shelf-stable cartons, premium organic blends, versatile in cooking.

What was once a Lenten necessity has become a café staple.

Sauce Sarsoun (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430) – Medieval Almond, Sugar & Pomegranate Sauce

Sauce Sarsoun – Almond, Sugar, and Pomegranate Sauce (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Originally recorded in Harleian MS. 279, c.1430

Medieval cooks used jewel-like pomegranate seeds to decorate sauces and meats.

Serving note: For a period-forward table setting, consider this handmade red clay tableware set. (affiliate)

In fifteenth-century English kitchens, sauces were not mere accompaniments but important markers of taste and refinement. Sauce Sarsoun from Harleian MS. 279 is a striking example: a rich blend of almonds, almond milk, wine, and sugar, finished with the jewel-like brilliance of pomegranate seeds. It demonstrates the medieval love of almond-based cookery, the expensive allure of sugar, and the symbolic flourish of garnishes drawn from distant lands.

Kitchen Adventures – Kirschen - Cherries Stewed in Wine (GTOD Vigil Recipe)

Original German (Ein New Kochbuch by Marx Rumpolt)

Kirschen/ die dürr seinn/ seß zu mit halb Wasser unnd halb Wein/ magst sie kalt oder warm geben.

Cherries/ that are dried/ set to (cook? Or soak) with half water and half wine/ (you) may serve them cold or warm.

Recipe:

1 pound frozen cherries
1½ cups red wine
1½ cups water
½ c sugar

Dried cherries are a bit more expensive then the frozen cherries, s I opted to use frozen cherries for this particular recipe.  However, at some point in the future I would like to try this with cherries thtat have been dried. 

To make, simply combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce has reduced and cherries begin to break down.  

Sources: 

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek - Digitale Bibliothek, M. (2022). Rumpolt, Marx: Rumpolt, Marx:Ein new Kochbuch ( 1587) - Digitised Book from the copyright-free holdings of the Bavarian State Library Munich [Germany] 2007-2022 Image-based Similarity Search. Retrieved 20 April 2022, from https://bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=viewer&bandnummer=bsb00090475&pimage=1&v=2p&nav=&l=en

DFG-Viewer: Ein new Kochbuch
"DFG-Viewer: Ein New Kochbuch". Dfg-Viewer.De, 2022, http://dfg-viewer.de/show?tx_dlf%5Bdouble%5D=0&tx_dlf%5Bid%5D=http%3A%2F%2Fdaten.digitale-sammlungen.de%2F~db%2Fmets%2Fbsb00090475_mets.xml&tx_dlf%5Bpage%5D=394&cHash=fe888b8427aa3211b8dbd29c1f6ded66. Accessed 25 Apr 2022.

Mell Violatum (Voilet Honey), Oyl of Violets (Violet Oil), Vyolette (Violet Pottage), To Make Syrupe of Violets (Violet Syrup) (Of Marche Violets)

Of March Violets: Medicinal and Culinary Lore

Family: Violaceae
Names: Violet, Sweete Violet, Viola nigra, Viola purpure, Virgil Vaccinium, Viola, Marche violet, Viola porporea, Viola mammola, Violetas, Violette de Mars, Blauw veiel, Mertzen violen, Violetten, Violaria, Mater violarum.
Usage: Culinary, Medical

"Violets are God's apology for February..."
– Barbara Johnson

Family: Violaceae
Names: Violet, Sweete Violet, Viola nigra, Viola purpure, Virgil Vaccinium, Viola, Marche violet, Viola porporea, Viola mammola, Violetas, Violette de Mars, Blauw veiel, Mertzen violen, Violetten, Violaria, Mater violarum.
Usage: Culinary, Medical

 Botanical Lore

This selection of violet descriptions and applications is drawn from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century herbals, cookbooks, and household manuals. Sweet violets were prized for their scent, cooling properties, and spiritual associations. Wild violets, though weaker in medicinal strength, were still used for their demure beauty and edible flowers.

📜 A Nievve Herball, 1554: Of Marche Violets

✰ The Kyndes.
There be two sortes of Violets: the garden and the wilde Violet. The Garden violets are of a fayre darke or shining deepe blewe colour, and a very pleasant and amiable smell. The wilde Violets are without sauour, and of a fainte blewe or pale colour.

✰ The Description.
[1] The sweete Garden or Marche violet, creepeth alongst ye ground like the Strawberie plante, fastening it selfe and taking roote in diuers places: his leaues be rounde and blackish like to Iuye leaues, sauing they be smaller, rounder, and tenderer: emongst the whiche leaues there springeth vp fayre & pleasant floures of a darke blew colour, eache floure growing alone by him selfe, vpon a little small and tender stemme. The floures are diuided into fiue small leaues, wherof the middle of the floures, with the tippes or poynted endes of the leaues are speckled or spotted with a certayne reddish yellow. After the floures there appeareth round bullets, or huskes full of seede, the whiche being ripe do open and diuide themselues into three partes, the roote is tender & of threddish strings.
Of this sorte, there is an other kinde planted in gardens, whose floures are very double, and full of leaues.
There is also a thirde kinde, bearing floures as white as snow.
And also a fourth kinde (but not very common) whose floures be of a darke Crymsen, or old reddish purple colour, in all other poyntes like to the first, as in his leaues, seede, and growing.
[2] The wilde is like to the garden Violet, but that his leaues are far smaller, his floures are somwhat greater, but much paler, yea sometimes almost white, and without sauour.

✰ The Place.
The sweete garden Violet, groweth vnder hedges, and about the borders of fieldes and pastures, in good ground and fertyle soyle, and it is also set and planted in gardens. The wilde kinde whiche is without smell, groweth in the borders of dry, leane, and barren fieldes.
The garden violet floureth in Marche and Aprill. The wilde also doth floure in Aprill, and afterwardes.

✰ The Names.
The sweete Violet is called in Greeke Ion: in Latine Viola nigra, Viola purpurea: & of Virgil Vaccinium: in Shoppes Viola: in English Violets, the garden Violet, the sweete Violet, and the Marche violet : in Italian Viola porporea, and Viola mammola: in Spanish Violetas: in Frenche Violette de Mars, ou de quaresme: in high Douch Blauw veiel, or Mertzen violen: in base Almaigne Violetten: the Violet plante or herbe is called in Shoppes Violaria, and Mater violarum.

✰ The cause of the Greeke name.
The sweete Violet (as the Emperour Constantine wryteth) was called in Greeke Ion, after the name of that sweete guirle or pleasant damosell Io, which Iupiter, after that he had gotte her with childe, turned her into a trim Heaffer or gallant Cowe, bycause that his wife Iuno (beyng bothe an angry and Ielous Goddesse) should not suspect that he loued Ion. In the honour of which his Io, as also for her more delicate and holsome feeding, the earth at the commaundement of Iupiter brought foorth Violettes, the whiche after the name of his welbeloued Io, he called in Greeke Ion: and therefore they are also called in Latine, as some do wryte, Violae, quasi vitulae & Vaccinia. Nicander wryteth, that the name of Ion was giuen vnto Violettes, bycause of the Nymphes of Ionia, who firste of all presented Iupiter with these kindes of floures.

✰ The Nature or Temperament.
Violets are colde in the first degree, and moyst in the second.

✰ The Vertues.

• [A] The Decoction of Violets is good against hoate feuers, and the inflammation of the Liuer, and all other inwarde partes, driuing forth by siege the hoate and cholerique humors. The like propertie hath the iuyce, syrupe, or conserue of the same.
• [B] The syrupe of Violets is good against the inflammation of the lunges and breast, and against the Pleurisie, and cough, and also against feuers or Agues, but especially in yong children.
• [C] The same Syrupe cureth all inflammations and roughnesse of the throte if it be much kept or often holden in the mouth. The sugar of violets, and also the conserue, and iuyce, bringeth the same to passe.
• [D] That yellow whiche is in the middest of the floures, boyled in water, is good to be gargled in the throte agaynst the squinancie or swelling in the throte: it is also good to be dronken agaynst the falling sickenesse in yong children.
• [E] Violets pounde and layde to the head alone, or mengled with oyle, remooueth the extreame heate, swageth head-ache, prouoketh sleepe, and moysteneth the brayne: it is good therefore against the drynesse of the head, against melancholy, and dulnesse or heauinesse of Spirite.
• [F] Violets brused or stamped with barlie meale, are good to be layde vpon phlegmons, that is to say, hoate unpostumes or carbuncles, and they heale the inflammation and paine of the eyes, also the hoate vlcers, and the inflammation that commeth with the falling downe of the fundament.
• [G] The seede of Violettes, dronken with wine or water, is good agaynst the stingings of Scorpions.
• [H] The herbe or plante is very good against hoate feuers, and the inflammations of the liuer, and looseth the belly.
• [I] The wilde Violets are almost of the same vertue, but they be a great deale weaker, and therefore they are not vsed in Medicine.

Historical Texts & Recipes

• 1554 – A Nievve Herball: Differentiates wild and garden violets, notes color variants (deep blue, white, crimson), and describes their creeping habit. Attributes their Greco-Roman name to the myth of Io and Jupiter.
• 1588 – Prepositas, A Compendious Treatise:
  • Mell Violatum: A syrup of violets and honey, helpful in hot fevers and dryness of chest and stomach.
  • Oil of Violets: Made by sun-steeping violets in olive oil and used topically for inflammation and lung complaints.
• 1659 – Culpeper’s School of Physick: Recommends almond butter with violets during Lent. Said to comfort the heart and brain and temper liver heat.
• 1690 – An English Herbal: Ascribes violet remedies for infections, jaundice, sore throats, and agues. Externally applied to reduce swelling and pain.

Violet Syrup (1608)

Source: A Closet for Ladies and Gentlevvomen

“Take your Violets, and pick the flowers, and weigh them, and then put them into a quart of water, and steepe them vpon hot embers, until such time as the flowers be turned white, and the water as blew as any violet. Then take to that quart of infusion four pound of clarified sugar, and boil it till it come to a syrup…”

Recipes Featuring Violets

• Harleian MS. 279 – .lxxxxj Vyolette – Violet Almond Pottage with rice flour, spices, fruits, and saffron, stirred with fresh violet flowers.
• Harleian MS. 279 – .Cxxv Vyolette – A custard-style dish made with almond milk, violet petals, and sugar or honey.

References & Resources

• Dodoens, R. (1554). A Nievve Herball
• Prepositas, N. (1588). A Compendious Treatise
• Culpeper, N. (1659). Culpeper’s School of Physick
• An English Herbal (1690)
• Of Marche Violets: Related Recipes and Links

⚠️ Reminder:

Always use organically grown or culinary-grade flowers. Never consume flowers from florists or treated ornamental plants.

Originally published 8/14/2020. Updated for expanded resources and culinary notes on 7/3/2025.

Kitchen Adventures – What to Drink? Four Drink Syrups for Recreation Feasts

When recreating an event at a site that is dry what do you drink? I prefer drink syrups which can be diluted to taste with water.  They are easy to make, easily transportable, and do not require special storage. I have two that I use regularly at events; Sekanjabin (oxmel) and Syrup of Pomegranites.  I have also recently discovered two new favorites which are destined to become regular syrups to bring with me camping or at events;  Syrup to Cool the Stomach and Allay Chollor and Apple Syrup, a syrup based off of "An Apple Drink with Sugar or Honey".  I hope you try these out and respond back with your own opinions of them.

Syrup of Simple Sekanjabin (Oxymel) - Persian Mint Drink  - "An Anonymous Andalusian cookbook of the 13th Century" as translated by David Friedman.

Sekanjabin refers to the "family" of drinks made with vinegar, sugar and water (Meade, 2002). I prefer to use red wine vinegar as the base of my drink. I have also used flavored vinegars and omitted the mint. I prefer a stronger drink, so I usually dilute 5:1 ratio of water to syrup.

Take a ratl of strong vinegar and mix it with two ratls of sugar, and cook all this until it takes the form of a syrup. Drink an ûqiya of this with three of hot water when fasting: it is beneficial for fevers of jaundice, and calms jaundice and cuts the thirst, since sikanjabîn syrup is beneficial in phlegmatic fevers: make it with six ûqiyas of sour vinegar for a ratl of honey and it is admirable.

...[gap: top third of this page has been cut off]...

... and a ratl of sugar; cook all this until it takes the consistency of syrup. Its benefit is to relax the bowels and cut the thirst and vomiting, and it is beneficial in bilious fevers (Friedman, 2000).

Sekanjabin Recipe (Courtesy of David Friedman)

Dissolve 4 cups sugar in 2 1/2 cups of water; when it comes to a boil add 1 cup wine vinegar. Simmer 1/2 hour. Add a handful of mint, remove from fire, let cool. Dilute the resulting syrup to taste with ice water (5 to 10 parts water to 1 part syrup). The syrup stores without refrigeration.

Syrup of Pomegranites - Spiced Pomegranate Syrup -Take a ratl of sour pomegranates and another of sweet pomegranates, and add their juice to two ratles of sugar, cook all this until it takes the consistency of syrup, and keep until needed. Its benefits: it is useful for fevers, and cuts the thirst, it benefits bilious fevers and lightens the body gently (Friedman, 2000).

Spiced Pomegranate Drink (Courtesy of David Friedman)

1 quart pomegranate juice
4 cups of sugar
1-2 cinnamon sticks*
Up to a tablespoon of cloves*

As the recipe from Al-Andulus suggests, equal parts of juice to sugar, heated until it boils and then lower the heat and cook until it becomes thick syrup. I dilute my syrup with a 4:1 ratio of water to syrup.

A syrupe to cool the stomach and to allay chollor - A Booke of diuers Medecines, Broothes, Salves, Waters, Syroppes and Oyntementes of which many or the most part have been experienced and tryed by the speciall practize of Mrs Corlyon.

Take the juyce of Oranges six spoonefulles*, the like quantity of the juyce of Lemmons and so much of the juyce of Pomegranetts (if you can goff it) putt to it so much redd Rose ayer as all those juyces doe amounte unto, and putt likewise so much faire water as will equall the foresaid juyces and Rose water. Then moasure all togoathor and to half pinte putt halfo a pound of Sugar fynelye boaton and so boil altogoathor till it commoth to a syrupe. Then putt it into a glasse and keepe it for your use. And when you will use it take some borrage water or rose water or faire running water boiled, mingle it with so much syrupe as you will take, so as you may drink it

Equal amounts of orange juice, lemon juice, pomegranate juice, distilled water
1/2 pound of sugar per 1/2 pint of juice
*Opt. Rosewater

Place juices into a pan with sugar and boil until they become a syrup (approximately ½ an hour) Dilute 1:4 syrup to water, or to taste.

Apple Drink with Sugar, Honey - The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened ~1669

A very pleasant drink is made of Apples, thus; Boil sliced Apples in water, to make the water strong of Apples, as when you make to drink it for coolness and pleasure. Sweeten it with Sugar to your tast, such a quantity of sliced Apples, as would make so much water strong enough of Apples; and then bottle it up close for three or four months. There will come a thick mother at the top, which being taken off, all the rest will be very clear, and quick and pleasant to the taste, beyond any Cider. It will be the better to most taste, if you put a very little Rosemary into the liquor, when you boil it, and a little Limon-peel into each bottle, when you bottle it up.

Apple Drink with Sugar or Honey

1/4 cup sugar
5 cups water
1-2 sliced and peeled apples

Place peeled, cored and sliced apples into a pan and add water. Bring to boil and reduce heat, simmering until apples are mushy and water is strongly flavored. Drain the apples through a collander that has been lined with coffee filters, stir in sugar and allow to cool before drinking.

As an alternative,  you can make an apple syrup using the same instructions as the Spiced Pomegranite Drink. 

For more excellent ideas on non-alcoholic beverages that were enjoyed, and can be used at  recreation events (or camping) please visit HL Ronan Meads Non-Alcoholic Beverages of the Middle Ages, the inspiration for many of the syrups you see on this post, and my starting point to continue researching  appropriate drinks. 

Caudel out of Lent (Harleian MS. 279) – Medieval Almond-Milk Caudle with Wine

Caudel out of Lent (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430) – Almond-Milk Caudle with Wine

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) — .Cl. Cawdel out of lente. – Caudel out of Lent

Comfort in a cup. The first time I tested this recipe from Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (Harleian MS. 279), I knew it would become a bedtime favorite. It’s a soft, sippable custard made from almond milk and wine, sweetened and spiced — somewhere on the family tree between possets and what we later call eggnog. Medieval cooks called it a caudle (a nourishing drink of wine/ale, crumbs, eggs, sugar, spice), often given to the convalescent. This version borrows posset-like elements (wine with “milk”) yet is named a caudle. Proto-eggnog? I’ll let you decide. 🙂

Color at the table was very “in.” The manuscript tells us to “ever keep it as white as thou may,” then offers color options at service — a ruby drizzle of alkanet, or a golden saffron hue. Period cooks also played with herbal greens and berry blues/purples. (If you’ve tried Maestro Martino’s summer “sky-blue” sauce, you know the vibe.)

Update (Aug 24, 2025): Expanded historical notes on medieval food coloring; added side-by-side text/translation, substitutions, dietary badges, and JSON-LD.

Original Text

.Cl. Cawdel out of lente.—Take & make a gode mylke of Almaundys y-draw vppe with wyne of Red, whyte is beterre; ȝif it schal be whyte, þan strayne ȝolkys of Eyroun þer-to a fewe. Put þer-to Sugre & Salt, but Sugre y-now; þen when it begynnyth to boyle, sette it out, & almost flatte; serue it then forth, & euer kepe it as whyte as þou may, & at þe dressoure droppe Alkenade þer-on, & serue forth; & ȝif þou wylt haue hym chargeaunt, bynd hym vppe with fflour of Rys, oþer with whetyn floure, it is no fors. And ȝif þou wolt, coloure hym with Safroun, & straw on pouder y-now, & Sugre y-now, & serue forth.

(Also attested via MedievalCookery.com.)

Modern Gloss

Make almond “milk” with wine (white preferred; red will tint it). For a whiter result, add a few egg yolks. Season with sugar and a little salt. Heat to just at the boil, then remove and let settle. Keep it as white as possible. At service, drip a little alkanet for red marbling; to thicken, bind with rice flour or wheat flour. Or color golden with saffron and strew on spice and more sugar.

Kitchen Adventures – Wardonys in Syryp - Pears in Syrup (Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430))

Wardonys in Syryp - Pears in Syrup

There are several recipes in Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 Thomas Austin which feature pears that have been stewed in wine, sweetened with sugar or honey, and flavored with cinnamon and other varied spices. The first recipe that I interpreted was Perys en Composte which was declared the favorite of the two recipes which I interpreted.  The second was Wardonys in Syryp, a very flavorful dish. 

Among one of the oldest cultivated fruits is the pear, and it is sad that today most of us are only aware of a few of the many varieties of pears that are available; Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou, Comice, Asian and Seckle. Pears are thought to have originated in Asia over 4,000 years ago and were being actively cultivated in Europe approximately 1000 B.C.  The Greeks had a special love of pears, and they were considered to be "gifts from the Gods" sacred to two goddesses, Hera and Aphrodite.

Pliny the Elder in his "Natural History" described over forty different kinds of pears. This number grew to over 60 varieties when John Gerard noted that a friend of his grew over 60 varieties of pears in the late 1500's. Pear seeds were given to the American Colonies in the early 1600's.  Le Lecier describes over 200 varieties of pears in 1628. One of the oldest pear trees planted in 1810 in America can be found at San Juan Batista. It is still bearing fruit.

Worcester Black Pears 

The most well-known pear variety is the Bartlett.  When it was first introduced is unknown, although some sources suggest it was known in England as early as 1600, other sources indicate a much later date. When first introduced, the bartlett pear was known as the William's Bon Chretien, or William's pear and it now accounts for over 70% of the pears that you see in the supermarkets today.

What of the Warden pear? Warden's present their own unique history.  It is possible that the Warden pear suggested in the recipes below refers to the Worcestor Black Pear, which is first referenced in Bedfordshire's Warden Abbey in the 13th century. If this is true, then this is one of the oldest known pear cultivars.  The pear itself is mahogany colored with russet patches and soft white or cream colored fruit.  It is incredibly hard and gritty and must be cooked in order to make it edible. Picked in late October, early November they can keep until April. It was this incredibly long keeping time that perhaps made them a popular item on the medieval table.

Another possibility is that the Warden was a general name given to any pear variety that was long keeping and needed to be stewed or cooked prior to eating. It may have come from the Anglo-Saxon word Weardon, meaning to preserve.

.x. Wardonys in syryp.—Take wardonys, an caste on a potte, and boyle hem till þey ben tender; þan take hem vp and pare hem, an kytte hem in to pecys*. [? ='in two pieces.' ]; take y-now of powder of canel, a good quantyte, an caste it on red wyne, an draw it þorw a straynour; caste sugre þer-to, an put it in [supplied by ed.] an erþen pot, an let it boyle: an þanne caste þe perys þer-to, an let boyle to-gederys, an whan þey haue boyle a whyle, take pouder of gyngere an caste þerto, an a lytil venegre, an a lytil safron; an loke þat it be poynaunt an dowcet.

x - Wardonys in syryp. Take wardonys, an caste on a potte, and boyle hem till they ben tender; than take hem vp and pare hem, an kytte hem in to pecys (Note: ? ='in two pieces.' ); take y-now of powder of canel, a good quantyte, an caste it on red wyne, an draw it thorw a straynour; caste sugre ther-to, an put it in an erthen pot, an let it boyle: an thanne caste the perys ther-to, an let boyle to-gederys, an whan they haue boyle a whyle, take pouder of gyngere an caste therto, an a lytil venegre, an a lytil safron; an loke that it be poynaunt an dowcet.

10. Pears in Syrup. Take pears, and cast them in a pot and boil them till they are tender; then take them up and pare them, and cut them in two pieces (or into pieces); take enough of powder of cinnamon, a good quantity, and cast it on red wine, and draw it through a strainer, cast sugar there-to, and put it in an earthen pot, and let it boil: and then cast the pears there-to, and let boil together, and when they have boiled a while, take powder of ginger and cast thereto, and a little vinegar, and a little saffron: and look that it be sour and sweet.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                        Serves 1 as main, 2 as side

1 pear, peeled, cored and cut in two pieces

1 tsp. cinnamon powder or 1 stick of cinnamon

3/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. ginger

Pinch of saffron

Gently poach pears until almost tender.  While the pears are poaching bring the wine, sugar, ginger, vinegar, saffron and cinnamon to a boil and cook until mixture has thickened and reduced. When the syrup has thickened add the pears and cook until the pears become tender and serve.

I believe that this recipe, like the perys in compost could be made up to two weeks prior to an event. However, the pears would continue to soak up the color of the wine they were cooked in, and that would eliminate the beauty of the white flesh of the pears as soon as you cut into them which I found to be one of the most striking features of the recipe.

The taste testers really enjoyed this recipe and I believe this dish will find its way regularly onto my table, especially when pears are in season.  

Similar recipes 

Ancient Cookery [Arundel 334] (England, 1425)

Warduns in syruppe. Take wardens (pears), and pare hom clene, and scthe hom in red wyn with mulberryes, or saunders, tyl thai byn tendur, and then take hom up, and cut hom, and do hom in a pot; and do therto wyn crete, or vernage ||, or other gode swete -wyne, and blaunch pouder, and sugur, and pouder of gynger, and let hom boyle awhile, and then serve hit forth.

Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)

Peris in Syrippe. Take Wardons, and cast hem in a faire potte, And boile hem til thei ben tendre; and take hem vppe, and pare hem in ij. or in iij. And take powder ofCanell, a good quantite, and cast hit in good red wyne, And cast sugur thereto, and put hit in an erthen potte, And lete boile; And then cast the peris thereto, And late hem boile togidre awhile; take powder of ginger, And a litell saffron to colloure hit with, And loke that hit be poynante/ And also Doucet/

Thomas Awkbarow's Recipes (MS Harley 5401) (England, 15th century)

To make a Syrop of Wardons. Recipe wardons & seth þam til þai be softe in clene water, or cast þam in a syve & rost þam. Pyl þam & shere þam in resonabyl byg pecis; þan take rede wyne or swete wyn or whyte wyne or gode ale, sugur & pressyd hony & bole it, & take powdyr of gynger & canell & cast it þerin boylyng, &annis in confyt; & when it is sodyn cast in þi wardons & serof it forth.

Kitchen Adventures – Wine Braised Beef (1615) (To Stew Fillets of Beefe)

In June, I hosted a cook's gathering featuring a selection of dishes that would have been found on "Shakespeare's" table. Each of the cook's that attended chose a dish from the recipes presented and brought it with them. We dined that night on buttered eggs, french bread, stewed fillets of beef, Fridayes pye and a berry cream.

The beef was delicious, tender, and served over a bed of saffroned rice. I cooked it in a crock pot. It recieved rave reviews. I don't cook with salt or pepper if I can avoid it, so the major comment of the evening were that this dish would have been better if I had added some salt and pepper while cooking. Note to self: Add Salt and Pepper!

To stew Fillets of Beefe

Take a rawe fillet of beefe and cut it in thin slices halfe as broad as your hand and fry them till they bee halfe fried in a frying-panne with sweete butter uppon each side with a soaft fire, then powre them into a dish or pipkin putting in a pint of claret-wine, a faggot of sweet herbes, and two or three blades of whole mace, a little salt, the meate of a Lemon cut in slices, then stewe these all together very softly for the space of two or three houres till it be halfe boyled away, then dish it up on sippets and throwe salt upon it, and serve it to the table hot  John Murrell "A Booke of Cookerie" (Lorwin, 1976).

Interpreted Recipe

2 to 3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast (aka pot roast), sliced into ¼ inch thick slices

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cups red wine (preferably a Bordeaux which is another name for “claret”)

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1-2 Tbsp. parsley

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1/8 tsp mace

1 lemon, peeled, sliced

Beef prepared to be stewed

Fry the slices of beef in the butter (if you wish, add olive oil to keep butter from burning). Remove from the pan until the all of the meat has been cooked thoroughly. Add meat back into the pan and add remaining ingredients. Allow meat to simmer two to three hours, or until liquid has been reduced by half and meat is tender.


I have included some pictures of the product in process, but silly me! I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. This was a huge hit at the gathering and I will be making it again in the future for an event. Probably 12th Night in January.