Hippocras

Last updated
Hippocras
Ypocras.jpg
Hippocrates's sleeve being used to make hippocras wine
TypeWine mixed with sugar and spices
Country of origin Roman Empire
IngredientsWine, spices, sugar

Hippocras [1] [2] sometimes spelled hipocras or hypocras, is a drink made from wine mixed with sugar and spices, usually including cinnamon, and possibly heated. After steeping the spices in the sweetened wine for a day, the spices are strained out through a conical cloth filter bag called a manicum hippocraticum or Hippocratic sleeve (originally devised by the 5th century BC Greek physician Hippocrates to filter water), from which the name of the drink is derived. [3]

Contents

History

Spiced wine was popular in the Roman Empire, as recorded in the writings of Pliny the Elder and Apicius. In the 12th century, a spiced wine named "pimen" or "piment" was mentioned by Chrétien de Troyes. During the 13th century, the city of Montpellier had a reputation for trading spiced wines with England. The first recipes for spiced wine appeared at the end of the 13th century (recipes for red wine and piment found in the Tractatus de Modo ) or at the beginning of the 14th century (recipe for piment in the Regimen sanitatis (Regiment de Sanitat) of Arnaldus de Villa Nova). Since 1390, recipes for piment have also been called ipocras or ypocras ( Forme of Cury in England, Ménagier de Paris or Viandier de Taillevent in France), probably with reference and tribute to Hippocrates. In the Catalan cookbook Llibre del Coch (1520) the recipe is given as pimentes de clareya. [4] A honey sweetened variant of hippocras was known as clarry (Anglo-Norman: clarré, claré) and is mentioned in The Customs of London (16th c.) by Richard Arnold. [5] [6]

The drink became extremely popular, with a reputation as having various medicinal or even aphrodisiac properties.

In the 16th century, food was classified along two axes: cold or hot, dry or wet. People at that time believed in pursuing “balance” between these, for instance by stewing dry ingredients (like root vegetables) and roasting wet foods (like suckling pig). Wine was considered to be cold and dry, and so to this warm ingredients like sugar, ginger and cinnamon were added, creating hypocras. [7]

Cookbooks and pharmacological manuals both provide recipes. This traditional recipe goes back to 1631:

Take 10 lb. best Red wine or White wine, 1½ oz. cinnamon, 2 scruples cloves, 4 scruples of each cardamom and grains of paradise ( Aframomum melegueta ), 3 drams ginger. Crush the spices coarsely and steep in the wine for 3 or 4 hours. Add 1½ lb. whitest sugar. Pass through the sleeve several times, and it is ready. [3]

Since the 16th century, the word has been generally spelled hippocras or hipocras in English and hypocras in French. Original recipes for hippocras were made until the 19th century, when it fell out of favor. This wine is made with sugar and spices. Sugar then[ when? ] was considered to be medicine and the spices varied according to the recipes. The main spices are: cinnamon, ginger, clove, grains of paradise and long pepper. An English manuscript specifies that sugar was uniquely for the lords and honey was for the people. [8] Since the 17th century, spiced wines, in France, have been generally prepared with fruits (apples, oranges, almonds) and with musk or ambergris. In England, in 1732, there was a recipe for red hippocras containing milk and brandy. [9] The drink was well liked during medieval and Elizabethan times. Moreover, doctors prescribed it to aid digestion. It was served at most banquets all over Europe.

The drink was highly prized during the high and late Middle Ages. In France, it has been noted as the favorite drink of notorious baron Gilles de Rais (c. 1405 – 1440), who reportedly drank several bottles every day and had his victims drink it prior to assault. Later, King Louis XIV of France (r.1643–1715) was also known to enjoy it. In those times, the drink was a highly valued gift-item, in the same vein as jam and fruit preserves. Hippocras fell out of fashion and was forgotten during the 18th century.

In France, hypocras is still produced in the Ariège and Haute Loire areas, though in very small quantities. [10]

Since 1996 the population of Basel have revived the New Year's morning celebration of the so-called Aadringgede (a drinking cheer). The "Dreizack"-fountain in the "Freiestrasse" will be filled with hippocras, spelled Hypokras in the local Swiss-German dialect. In Basel it is a tradition in winter to drink Hypokras and eat the famous Basler Läggerli (biscuits) with it.

The drink may have eventually inspired the Spaniards in their 18th-century development of sangria. While sweeter than hippocras, sangria is still often made with spices, including cinnamon, ginger, and pepper.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mead</span> Alcoholic beverage made from honey

Mead, also called honey wine, and hydromel, is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20%. Possibly the most ancient alcoholic drink, the defining characteristic of mead is that the majority of the beverage's fermentable sugar is derived from honey. It may be still, carbonated, or naturally sparkling, and despite a common misconception that mead is exclusively sweet, it can also be dry or semi-sweet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catalan cuisine</span> Mediterranean style of cuisine from Catalonia

Catalan cuisine is the cuisine from Catalonia. It may also refer to the shared cuisine of Northern Catalonia and Andorra, the second of which has a similar cuisine to that of the neighbouring Alt Urgell and Cerdanya comarques and which is often referred to as "Catalan mountain cuisine". It is considered a part of western Mediterranean cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulled wine</span> Heated red wine with spices

Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is usually served at Christmas markets in Europe, primarily in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries, Great Britain and eastern France. There are non-alcoholic versions of it. Vodka-spiked mulled wine can be found in Polish Christmas markets, where mulled wine is commonly used as a mixer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Posset</span> Hot drink with wine and milk

A posset was originally a popular British hot drink made of milk curdled with wine or ale, often spiced, which was often used as a remedy.

<i>The Forme of Cury</i> 14th century English guide to cooking

The Forme of Cury is an extensive 14th-century collection of medieval English recipes. Although the original manuscript is lost, the text appears in nine manuscripts, the most famous in the form of a scroll with a headnote citing it as the work of "the chief Master Cooks of King Richard II". The name The Forme of Cury is generally used for the family of recipes rather than any single manuscript text. It is among the oldest extant English cookery books, and the earliest known to mention olive oil, gourds, and spices such as mace and cloves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangria</span> Alcoholic beverage

Sangria is an alcoholic beverage originating in Spain and Portugal. A punch, sangria traditionally consists of red wine and chopped fruit, often with other ingredients or spirits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eggnog</span> Sweetened dairy-based beverage

Eggnog, historically also known as a milk punch or an egg milk punch when alcoholic beverages are added, is a rich, chilled, sweetened, dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk and whipped egg white. A distilled spirit such as brandy, rum, whiskey or bourbon is often a key ingredient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gingerbread</span> Spiced dough used for baking

Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as crisp as a ginger snap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rice pudding</span> Dish made from rice mixed with water or milk

Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and commonly other ingredients such as sweeteners, spices, flavourings and sometimes eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spice cake</span> Cake flavored with spices

Spice cake is a type of cake that is traditionally flavored with a mixture of spices. The cake can be prepared in many varieties. Predominant flavorings include spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coquito</span> Puerto Rican rum and coconut milk cocktail

Coquito is a traditional Christmas drink that originated in Puerto Rico. The coconut-based alcoholic beverage is similar to eggnog, and is sometimes referred to as Puerto Rican Eggnog. The mixed drink is made with Puerto Rican rum, coconut milk, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nalewka</span> Infused alcoholic beverage

Nalewka, plural nalewki, is a traditional alcoholic beverage from Poland. Similar to medicinal tinctures, it is usually 40% to 45% alcohol by volume, though some can be as strong as 75%. Nalewka is created by macerating and / or infusing various ingredients in alcohol, usually vodka or neutral spirits. Among the ingredients often used are fruits, herbs, spices, roots, sugar and honey. The name nalewka is currently being registered for national appellation within the European Union. Unlike ordinary liqueurs, nalewki are usually aged. Since nalewka is produced by infusion rather than distillation, the liquid is typically colorful and somewhat opaque. Taste-wise, nalewka is similar to fruit liqueurs such as schnapps or eau-de-vie, but is usually sweeter and typically lacks a strong alcohol taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocktails with cachaça</span>

There are many cocktails made with cachaça, the national spirit of Brazil. The caipirinha is by far the most popular and internationally well-known, but bartenders have developed other mixed drinks using the spirit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pumpkin pie spice</span> Spice mix used to flavor pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie spice, also known as pumpkin spice, is an American spice mix, originally developed for flavoring the filling of a pumpkin pie. It does not include pumpkin as an ingredient.

Powder-douce is a spice mix used in Medieval and Renaissance cookery. Like modern spice mixes such as Italian seasoning or garam masala, there was not a set ingredient list, and it varied from cook to cook. The author of the 14th-century manuscript Le Ménagier de Paris suggested a mix of grains of paradise, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and galangal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoking bishop</span> Type of mulled wine, punch or wassail

Smoking bishop is a type of mulled wine, punch, or wassail, especially popular in Victorian England at Christmas time, and it is mentioned in Dickens' 1843 story A Christmas Carol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masala chai</span> Flavoured Indian tea

Masala chai is a popular beverage throughout South Asia, originating in India. It is made by brewing black tea in milk and water, and then by sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates masala chai.

Aromatised wine is a wine flavoured with aromatic herbs and spices. These are classified by their alcohol content and the flavourings and other ingredients used. The European Union defines three categories which are: 'aromatised wine', 'aromatised wine-based drink' and 'aromatised wine-product cocktail'. Drinks which have an alcohol content of 1.2% abv or less, cannot be labelled as containing wine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claret cup (drink)</span> Red wine cocktail popular 19th century

Claret cup is a type of wine cocktail that was popular in 19th-century western Europe and North America. The basic ingredients of claret cup are chilled claret or similar wine, carbonated water, sugar, and flavorings that supply a citrusy or herbal aroma.

References

  1. "hippocras". Merriam-Webster.
  2. "hippocras definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-04-26.
  3. 1 2 Goldstein, Darra (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. p. 333. ISBN   9780199313617.
  4. de Nola, Rupert (1568). Libre del coch. Barcelona: Pau Cortey y Pedro Malo. p.  VIII.
  5. Wright, Thomas (1880). Dictionary of Obsolete and Provincial English. Vol. 1. London: G. Bell. p.  313.
  6. Arnold, Richard (1881). The Customs of London, otherwise called Arnold's Chronicle 2d ed. London: Printed for F. C. and J. Rivington. p.  188.
  7. Laudan, Rachel (2006). "Birth of the Modern Diet". Scientific American. 16 (4): 4–11. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1206-4sp.
  8. Renfrow, Cindy (1995). A Sip Through Time. C. Renfrow. p. 238. ISBN   9780962859830.
  9. Carter, Charles (1732). The Compleat City and Country Cook. London: A. Bettesworth and C. Hitch. pp.  217-218.
  10. "Accueil boutique / NOTRE CAVE" (in French). Today, Frédéric Bayer has taken over from his father. We are based in St Germain Laprade (in Haute-Loire, 7kms from Puy en Velay) and we are always faithful to our original recipes

Further reading