By Dyfed Lloyd Evans
On average, the human body is 70% water and we require between 1 and 7 litres of water every day to prevent rehydration with typical intake recommenced to be about one litre. Today, with plumbing and water treatment water is safe to drink for all but 1 billion humans (who still have to rely on unsafe water). But, in the past, everyone had to rely on unsafe water. As a result different civilizations developed different ways for making their drinking water safe.
The most notable difference can be seen between North Africa/Europe and East Asia. We know that the Egyptians developed brewing and that brewed wheat was a staple of their diet. This brewing spread through North Africa and south across the Sahara, often with millet being substituted for wheat. In Europe there was brewing both of honey to form mead and of grains to make beer. Brewing renders water safe in that the water is boiled before mashing the grains and after the brewing process the alcohol in the beer keeps the drink safe. Indeed, from Celtic times through to Elizabethan times beer was the staple, safe, drink for almost everyone in Europe.
In East Asia a different approach evolved. Again, water was boiled to render it safe, but it was made into an infusion with aromatic plant leaves; and thus tea evolved. This difference in approaches to rendering water safe to drink may explain why alcohol intolerance is more common in Asiatic populations.
A further cultural change in Arabic peoples with the advent of Islam led to the consumption of alcohol being viewed in a negative light and the rise of another kind of infusion in boiled water. That of a bitter Ethiopian bean coffee.
Other mixes of herbs and spices have also been used to flavour boiled water. Ginger being a good example and various fruit juices and infusions are also made. All these drinks are, ultimately, a quest to find something safe to drink, a way of rendering potentially lethal water safe.
What this means that we, today have a vast array of possible drinks available to us, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Below are two recipes for classic examples of such drinks.
Jus de Fruit
This is a classic recipe, originating from Chad, Central Africa for an iced fruit an milk drink that's lightly spiced.
Ingredients:
1 mango (or 300g of any combination of mango, orange, pineapple, guava and papaya)
500ml whole milk
3 tbsp honey
6 ice cubes
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Method:
Crush the ice in a blender then peel and chop the fruit before adding to the ice. Blend the fruit until smooth then add the milk, honey and cardamom powder. Blend until thoroughly mixed then serve in tall glasses over crushed ice.
Lemongrass Tea
This is an Asian drink that's also popular in West Africa.
Ingredients:
140g chopped lemongrass stalk
500ml water
50g ginger, pounded in a pestle and mortar
sugar, to taste (optional)
milk (typically condensed milk), optional
Method:
Place the lemongrass in a teapot and pour the boiling water over them. Allow to steep for five minutes, agitating the pot every now and then. Pour into cups or glasses and serve. This can be drunk as it is or it can be sweetened with sugar or it can also be served with a little condensed milk.
The most notable difference can be seen between North Africa/Europe and East Asia. We know that the Egyptians developed brewing and that brewed wheat was a staple of their diet. This brewing spread through North Africa and south across the Sahara, often with millet being substituted for wheat. In Europe there was brewing both of honey to form mead and of grains to make beer. Brewing renders water safe in that the water is boiled before mashing the grains and after the brewing process the alcohol in the beer keeps the drink safe. Indeed, from Celtic times through to Elizabethan times beer was the staple, safe, drink for almost everyone in Europe.
In East Asia a different approach evolved. Again, water was boiled to render it safe, but it was made into an infusion with aromatic plant leaves; and thus tea evolved. This difference in approaches to rendering water safe to drink may explain why alcohol intolerance is more common in Asiatic populations.
A further cultural change in Arabic peoples with the advent of Islam led to the consumption of alcohol being viewed in a negative light and the rise of another kind of infusion in boiled water. That of a bitter Ethiopian bean coffee.
Other mixes of herbs and spices have also been used to flavour boiled water. Ginger being a good example and various fruit juices and infusions are also made. All these drinks are, ultimately, a quest to find something safe to drink, a way of rendering potentially lethal water safe.
What this means that we, today have a vast array of possible drinks available to us, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Below are two recipes for classic examples of such drinks.
Jus de Fruit
This is a classic recipe, originating from Chad, Central Africa for an iced fruit an milk drink that's lightly spiced.
Ingredients:
1 mango (or 300g of any combination of mango, orange, pineapple, guava and papaya)
500ml whole milk
3 tbsp honey
6 ice cubes
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Method:
Crush the ice in a blender then peel and chop the fruit before adding to the ice. Blend the fruit until smooth then add the milk, honey and cardamom powder. Blend until thoroughly mixed then serve in tall glasses over crushed ice.
Lemongrass Tea
This is an Asian drink that's also popular in West Africa.
Ingredients:
140g chopped lemongrass stalk
500ml water
50g ginger, pounded in a pestle and mortar
sugar, to taste (optional)
milk (typically condensed milk), optional
Method:
Place the lemongrass in a teapot and pour the boiling water over them. Allow to steep for five minutes, agitating the pot every now and then. Pour into cups or glasses and serve. This can be drunk as it is or it can be sweetened with sugar or it can also be served with a little condensed milk.
Dyfed Lloyd Evans runs the Celtnet Recipes site, where you can find a large number of recipes for drinks along with brewing recipes for meads, beers and wines many of which are ancient, historic, recipes.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dyfed_Lloyd_Evans
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