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.
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.
🍊 Oranges after the Portugal Fashion - Candied Renaissance Oranges (Sir Hugh Plat, 1609)
Originally published 1/18/2015 - Updated 9/10/2025 - Refreshed 5/27/2026
Imagine being served what appears to be a glossy orange at a Renaissance banquet, only to discover that it has been boiled, candied in sugar syrup, filled with marmalade, and sliced open like a jewel-bright hard-boiled egg. Sir Hugh Plat’s Delights for Ladies (1609) preserves exactly that kind of culinary theater in his recipe “To preserve Orenges after the Portugall fashion.”
This is not a simple orange preserve. It is edible display. Whole oranges are softened, sweetened, filled with a stiff orange marmalade made from their own pulp, returned to syrup, and then served in slices. Plat promises that the finished fruit “will cut like an hard egge,” which is one of those historical recipe instructions that sounds impossible until you see it happen on the plate.
I have served these at feast, and one of the best things about them was that people thought they were table decorations. They sat on the table looking so bright, polished, and ornamental that diners did not immediately realize they were meant to be eaten. The servers had to explain that yes, the oranges were part of the menu. That moment is exactly why this recipe matters. It shows how Renaissance sweets could blur the line between food, decoration, luxury, and conversation piece.
Best historical choice: use Seville or bitter oranges if you can find them. I first made this recipe with ordinary sweet oranges, which worked, but later a generous member of the historical food community sent me bitter oranges and helped refine the quantities. I wish I could remember whether it was Ken Albala or David Friedman, but I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity. The bitter orange version was, to my taste, far better: more balanced, less cloying, firmer in set, and much closer to what Plat seems to describe.
Whole oranges simmering in sugar syrup. Plat’s method creates both candied fruit and marmalade in one showpiece.
Why This Recipe Matters
Plat’s preserved oranges are a perfect example of early modern English banquet culture. By the late 16th and early 17th centuries, elite tables used sugar, preserved fruits, marchpane, comfits, and molded sweets to display wealth and skill. These foods were often served in a banquet course, not necessarily as the main meal, but as a refined display of delicacy, hospitality, and status.
The phrase “after the Portugall fashion” is especially interesting. Portugal was strongly associated with citrus, sugar, maritime trade, and fashionable imported luxuries. Sweet oranges were sometimes linked with Portuguese trade and cultivation, while bitter oranges remained especially useful in preserves and marmalades because of their peel, acidity, bitterness, and natural pectin. In a recipe like this, the name signals more than geography. It suggests refinement, foreign fashion, and an expensive style of sweetmaking.
It is also worth remembering that “marmalade” did not always mean the soft breakfast spread we know today. Early marmalades were often stiff fruit pastes, closer to quince paste or fruit cheese. Plat’s instruction that the oranges should slice “like a hard egg” makes much more sense when we imagine a firm, sliceable citrus paste tucked inside the candied peel.
Historical Recipe
To preſerue Orenges after the Portugall faſhion. Take Orenges & coare them on the ſide and lay them in water, then boile them in fair water til they be tender, ſhift them in the boyling to take away their bitterneſſe, then take ſugar and boyle it to the height of ſirup as much as will couer them, and ſo put your Orenges into it, and that will make them take ſugar. If you haue 24. Orenges, beate 8. of them till they come to a paſte with a pounde of fine ſugar, then fill euery one of the other Orenges with the ſame, and ſo boile them again in your ſirup: then there will be marmelade of orenges with your orenges, & it will cut like an hard egge.
- Sir Hugh Plat, Delights for Ladies (1609)
Modernized Transcription
To preserve oranges after the Portugal fashion: core each orange on the side and soak them in water. Boil them in clean water until they are tender, changing the water during boiling to reduce their bitterness. Then boil sugar to a syrup, enough to cover the oranges, and put the oranges into it so they take sugar. If you have 24 oranges, beat 8 of them to a paste with a pound of fine sugar, then fill each of the remaining oranges with that paste. Boil them again in the syrup. Then there will be marmalade of oranges within your oranges, and it will cut like a hard egg.
Bitter Oranges vs. Sweet Oranges
If you can find them, Seville oranges, also sold as bitter oranges, sour oranges, marmalade oranges, or sometimes naranja agria, are the best choice for this recipe. They are more bitter than supermarket navel or Valencia oranges, but that bitterness is exactly what makes the preserve work. The sharpness balances the sugar and gives the finished confection a much more complex flavor.
Bitter oranges also behave better in the kitchen. Their peel is well suited to candying, and their higher pectin helps the marmalade filling set firmly. Sweet oranges can certainly be used, and I include a sweet-orange adaptation below, but they tend to produce a softer, juicier filling unless the pulp is drained and cooked down.
Factor
Seville / Bitter Oranges
Sweet Oranges
Historical fit
Best choice
Modern adaptation
Flavor
Bittersweet, complex, aromatic
Milder and sweeter
Pectin
Higher, firmer set
Lower, softer filling
Best use
Historical recreation and feast display
Accessible home version
Where to look: Seville or sour oranges are often seasonal, usually appearing in winter. Try Latin American groceries, Mediterranean or Middle Eastern markets, specialty produce shops, or online citrus growers. If you see “marmalade oranges,” those are usually exactly what you want.
Humoral and Feast Notes
In early modern food theory, oranges were often understood as cooling and drying, with bitter or sour oranges especially valued for cutting richness and stimulating appetite. This makes them a sensible banquet sweet after heavy meats, sauces, and rich dishes. The sugar, while luxurious, was also treated as useful in preservation and digestion, not merely as indulgence.
For a feast table, these oranges work beautifully as an entremet, subtlety, or banquet-course confection. They can sit among marchpane, comfits, candied peels, preserved fruits, wafers, or hippocras. They are especially effective because they do not immediately announce themselves as food. They invite the diner to ask: “Is that decoration?” And then the feast begins to talk back.
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.
A symbolic red-and-white salad of daikon and carrot lightly pickled in sweetened vinegar — a bright accent to the first tray of the Muromachi-period Honzen Ryori feast.
Kohaku-namasu represents more than flavor: the colors themselves are auspicious. Red symbolizes joy and protection from evil; white represents purity and celebration.
The dish was introduced from China during the Nara period and became a central feature of Osechi Ryori — the traditional New Year’s cuisine of the Heian court.
Crown Tournament 2019: Mikawa ae (Miso and Sesame Cucumber Pickles)
From the Muromachi-period Honzen Ryori menu served at Crown Tournament (October 19, 2019): crisp cucumbers dressed in a miso–sesame emulsion, bright with rice vinegar and shiso.
Mikawa ae — Photo courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)
Originally published 11/25/2019 Updated 11/6/2025
This beautifully simple dish was a standout on the first tray. The balance of salt, sweetness, and umami offered a refreshing counterpoint to the grilled and simmered items.
The redaction draws on Sengoku Daimyo’s Redactions of Japanese Dishes, aligning with techniques seen in late medieval Japan.
Fukujinzuke (red pickles for curry) 福神漬け Photo courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)
Originallypublished 10/29/2029 Updated 10/31/2025
Fukujinzuke (福神漬け) is a sweet–salty soy-pickled relish traditionally served with Japanese curry rice (kare-raisu).
Its name honors the Shichi Fukujin—the Seven Lucky Gods—each symbolizing a different virtue.
A classic preparation uses seven vegetables such as daikon, lotus root, cucumber, eggplant, carrot, shiitake, and burdock.
Though curry and fukujinzuke date from Japan’s Meiji era (1868–1912), these pickles trace their roots to far older preservation arts.
Including them in the Crown Tournament Feast provided guests with a glimpse of how Japanese foodways evolved from the Muromachi period’s elegant honzen ryōri to later, modern tastes.
Tsukemono—Japanese pickles—form an essential part of nearly every meal.
They cleanse the palate, add color and texture, and reflect regional produce and technique.
Methods range from simple salt cures (shiozuke) and vinegar brines (amasuzuke) to soy-based (shoyuzuke), miso (misozuke), rice-bran (nukazuke), and sake-lees (kasuzuke) fermentations.
Our fukujinzuke is a shoyuzuke: vegetables simmered briefly in a soy–sugar–vinegar brine for a glossy, gently candied finish.
Commercial versions are often tinted red; traditional homespun ones remain soy-brown.
A sliver of beet can replace the food dye for color if desired.
🥕 Dietary Notes: Vegan & vegetarian. Contains soy.
For gluten-free, use tamari. Omit candied ginger for low-sugar or allium-free adaptation.
Comfits—candied spices & seeds—served as sweet digestives and table decoration in late medieval & Renaissance feasts.
Comfits – Medieval Candied Spices & Seeds (How to Make Historic Comfits)
Originally published 9/15/15 / updated 10/1/2025
Please note this correction: gum arabic and gum tragacanth are not the same substance. I originally conflated them—mea culpa, and thank you to the reader who flagged it.
Comfits were often served at the end of a feast as a digestive, to perfume the breath, and to decorate subtlety dishes and table settings. Aromatic seeds such as anise, fennel, or caraway were built up with repeated coats of sugar syrup—sometimes tinted with beet, spinach, or saffron. Almonds, ginger, and cinnamon splinters appear in later sources as well. You can still buy descendants of these sweets today (think Jordan almonds and pastilles), but handmade comfits are more delicate and—yes—tastier.
Rose conserve — my original 2017 photo, refreshed here with updated notes and historical context.
Originally published: October 2, 2017 • Updated: September 19, 2025
Rose Conserve – A Medieval Confection of Petals & Sugar
Rose conserve — also called conserva rosarum — is a perfumed paste of fresh rose petals pounded with sugar. It sits right on the border of food and medicine: sweet enough for the banquet table, soothing enough to appear in apothecary lists. Cool, fragrant, and very old-fashioned in the best way.
Dry Peaches and Red Quince Paste served at Curia Regis (9/10/2017)
To Dry Peaches – 17th-Century Fruit Paste (Hannah Wolley, 1670)
Originally published 9/16/17. Updated 9/19/2025.
Golden peach pastes adapted from Hannah Wolley’s Queen-Like Closet (1670): jewel-bright confections, oven or dehydrator friendly, ideal for SCA feasts.
This sweet preserve comes from The Queen-Like Closet (1670), a cookbook and household guide by Hannah Wolley. While late for the SCA timeline, her preserving methods represent skills widely practiced in the 16th and 17th centuries—perfectly in line with late-period banquet fare.
About Hannah Wolley
Hannah Wolley (1622–c.1674) was among the first Englishwomen to make a career from writing. She was the first to publish cookery books under her own name, the first to openly market them to servants and housewives as well as the gentry, and one of the earliest women in England to claim authorship professionally. Her career began with The Ladies Directory (1661) and The Cook’s Guide (1664), before culminating in The Queen-Like Closet (1670). The latter went through multiple editions, was translated into German, and became her best-known work. She blended recipes for food, preserves, and medicines, establishing herself as the “Martha Stewart” of her day.
What Kind of Peaches?
In 17th-century England, peaches were a luxury fruit, grown in walled gardens or imported at high cost. Period peaches were closer to older European cultivars: smaller, firmer, often slightly tart, and prized for their fragrance. They were valued in preserves where structure and color mattered as much as flavor.
Period style: Older white-fleshed clingstone peaches (smaller, firmer).
Modern substitutes: White peaches (delicate, aromatic), yellow peaches (bright amber color), or apricots (documented in the original recipes).
Practical feast kitchen: Frozen peaches or reconstituted dried apricots work beautifully when fresh fruit is out of season.
Sources in Period
CCXV. To dry Apricocks. Take your fairest Apricocks and stone them... boil them till they are clear... lay them out upon Glasses to dry in a stove, and turn them twice a day.
CCI. To dry Apricocks or Pippins to look as clear as Amber. Take Apricocks... set them into a warm Oven... every day turn them till they be quite dry. Thus you may dry any sort of Plumbs or Pears as well as the other, and they will look very clear.
Editor’s Note: Although Hannah Wolley’s Queen-Like Closet (1670) is technically outside the SCA’s 1600 cut-off, the method of drying fruits with sugar syrup was already well established centuries earlier. Wolley’s text preserves a technique that was in active use during the medieval and Renaissance periods, even if not written down until her time.
14th century – Forme of Cury (c.1390): preserves and sugared fruits appear.
15th century – Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430): recipes for fruit pastes and conserves.
16th century – Platina and Scappi describe sugared fruits, marmalades, and pastes on elite banquet tables.
17th century – Hannah Wolley records these long-standing practices in print (1670).
This timeline shows that while Wolley’s printed version is late, the preservation technique itself is “in period” and entirely appropriate for SCA feasts.
Menu Placement
Dried fruits and fruit pastes were served as part of the banquet course—the sweets and subtlety table that followed the main meal. They also travel well, making them practical for camping feasts today.
Humoral Notes
According to humoral theory, peaches were considered cold & moist. Drying them and cooking them with sugar shifted them toward balance, making them more wholesome. Serving them with warming spices like cinnamon or ginger further balanced their nature.
🥕 Gluten-free, vegetarian (vegan if sugar is bone-char free)
Pickled grapes ready to be served
In Renaissance kitchens, grapes were often served fresh, described by color (white or black), and used for sweet or savory contrast. This recipe, though not found in Scappi or Domenico Romoli directly, draws on 17th-century English and Italian preservation methods to create a sweet-sour pickled grape that pairs beautifully with rich dishes like crostata, cheese, or roasted meats.
Plates of Candies and Comfits waiting to be served
Domenico Romoli's "La Singolare Dottrina," published in 1560, is a comprehensive guide for cooks and maîtres d'hôtel, offering insights into the selection, preparation, and service of various foods and wines. In its fourth book, Romoli presents detailed menus for each month, including the "Banquet of January." This banquet showcases a variety of dishes suitable for the winter season, reflecting the culinary traditions of 16th-century Italy.
Sweet Green Fennel from Domenico Romoli's Banquet of January
Domenico Romoli's La Singolare Dottrina (1560) offers a fascinating glimpse into Renaissance cuisine for those who love diving into historical recipes. This culinary guide, written by Romoli—nicknamed Panunto—details elaborate feasts for every month of the year. Among the dishes featured in the Banquet of the Month of January is Finnocchio Dolce Verde, or Sweet Green Fennel, a unique Renaissance treat that transforms humble fennel stalks into candied delights.
A Taste of 16th-Century Italy
Fennel was a staple in Italian Renaissance kitchens, prized for its digestive properties and aromatic qualities. This particular preparation, which candies the fennel stalks in sugar syrup, reflects the era's fascination with preserving flavors and enhancing natural sweetness. The result is a delicately flavored confection, perfect for pairing with cheeses and wine or simply enjoying as a sweet snack.
The Recipe: Sweet Green Fennel (Candied Fennel Stalks)
Yield: About 3/4 cup candied fennel and 1 cup syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
5 to 6 ounces of fennel stalks, cut on the diagonal into thin sticks (about 1 1/2 cups)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Candy the fennel: Add the sliced fennel stalks to the syrup and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the fennel stalks become translucent.
Strain and bake: Strain the fennel stalks, reserving the syrup for future use (it's great for cocktails or drizzling over desserts). Spread the syrup-coated fennel slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Dry the fennel: Bake for about 30 minutes, then separate any sticking slices. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the fennel is dry yet slightly sticky.
Cool and serve: Allow the fennel to cool completely before serving or storing.
Bringing History to Your Table
The candied fennel from Romoli's Banquet of January offers a glimpse into the refined tastes of Renaissance Italy. Its delicate sweetness and herbal notes make it a versatile addition to modern dishes—try it as a garnish for cheese boards, an elegant topping for desserts, or even infused into a winter tea.
By recreating historical recipes like this one, we can appreciate how Renaissance chefs balanced sweetness, texture, and aromatic flavors. Next time you're in the kitchen, why not step back and savor the flavors of a 16th-century banquet?
🦚 Curious about the full feast?
Explore the complete menu from the Flaming Gryphon 12th Night Feast 2024 to see all the dishes and historical inspirations behind this event.
As part of Appolonia's vigil feast, this recipe for pickled cabbage was included. It was chosen because it could easily exist on a dayboard and did not require refridgeration. This recipe can be found in "Ein Kochbuch aus dem Archiv des Deutschen Ordens" (A Cookbook from the Archives of the Teutonic Order), a culinary manuscript published in the 15th century.
Original Text:
"So seudt weysse Heuptt und ein zweythell Sennffs und das dritthell Hoengs und die selbing mach undereinander mitt Wein und thu darein Koemel und ein des genug und leg dan des gesotten Kraut darein und gibe es kalt. also magst auch priesen die Seudt mitt Wrczenn und gyb sy hin."
Translated Text:
If you want to make pickled cabbage:
"Boil white cabbage heads, take two parts mustard and one part honey, mix them with wine and add caraway. It's enough, put the boiled cabbage into it and serve it cold. You can also season the broth and serve it."
Ingredients:
1 large head of cabbage (or 2 smaller ones)
9 oz stone-ground mustard
4 oz honey
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp caraway seeds
Instructions:
Boil the cabbage until just tender. It should be soft but not mushy.
In a saucepot, mix the stone-ground mustard, honey, white wine, and caraway seeds. Bring to a slow boil for about 5 minutes.
Peel leaves from the cabbage head.
Pour the sauce over the cabbage and chill.
Serve cold and enjoy this delightful fusion of history and flavor.
Pickling is a form of fermentation that includes placing food into an acid, for example, sour wine (vinegar) or beer to preserve it. The use of vinegar is ancient, it is mentioned numerous times in the bible, and traces of vinegar were found in Egyptian urns (3000 B.C.). When mixed with water, it was known as posca or poor man's wine in ancient Rome.
How does vinegar preserve food?
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties which inhibit the growth of microorganisms that would spoil food.
What kinds of acids are found in wine?
Wine has tartaric, malic, and citric acids.
Tartaric acid lowers the PH level of food to a level that bacteria cannot live. It also acts as a firming agent and adds a tart flavor to wine and food.
Both malic and citric acids inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, mold, and yeast while helping food retain its color, flavor, and texture.
Original Recipe
3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniß/
Coriander/ vnd ein wenig Kuͤmel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/
gesotten mit halb Wein vnd halb Essig.
Interpretation
3. Red turnips made with chopped horseradish/ anise/
coriander/ and a little cumin/ especially when the beets are cut/
boiled with half wine and half vinegar.
Ingredients
3 whole fresh baby beets
1/2 C red wine
1 C vinegar
1 piece horseradish root 1" long x 1" wide, slivered
1 t anise seed
2 t coriander seed
1/2 t caraway seed
Instructions
1. You can use canned beats if you want, but, fresh beets will give you a better flavor and texture. Roast your beets in a 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.
2. Allow to cool and remove the skin. Chop your beets into bite-sized pieces and place them into pint-sized canning jars that are extremely clean! Add slivered horseradish.
3. Bring wine, vinegar, and spices to a boil. Pour into your jars, leaving a half inch of headspace before sealing the lids. Allow the beets, spices, and horseradish to cool to room temperature before storing.
Note: The beets store well in the refrigerator. If I were planning on long-term storage, I would finish with a hot water bath, but I am unsure if it would be necessary. I have one jar left of these beets from the event in the fridge and it is still good after several months.
Note: These should marinate for several days before being served. I prefer at least a week to marry the flavors. I have noticed that the flavors are not as pungent now as they were a week after being made. They've mellowed in a very pleasant way the longer they have sat.
Thoughts
I love pickled beets and I would have no difficulty bringing them to a weekend event along with the pickled onions if I were planning on not having a cooler. These are spicy, tart, and delicious. If you don't care for horseradish, don't use it, but do add the spices.
