Sage Oxymel, Monastic Cellar Remedy
A medicinal syrup of equal parts honey and vinegar, infused with sage, diluted in hot water. The classic remedy of monastic pharmacopoeia, halfway between drink and care, sweet and tart.
A medicinal syrup of equal parts honey and vinegar, infused with sage, diluted in hot water. The classic remedy of monastic pharmacopoeia, halfway between drink and care, sweet and tart.
When one has lived as many winters as We have, one knows the value of the simples from the garden. Oxymel, my child, is honey and vinegar in equal parts, in which we infuse blessed sage—*Salvia salvatrix*, say the ancients, the sage that saves. A spoonful in hot water, and the throat loosens, the stomach calms. The infirmary brothers always kept a flask; and even a pope under the tiara is but an old man who coughs when winter comes.
- •Honey — one part (sweetness and preservation)
- •Wine vinegar — one part (acidity, medicinal virtue)
- •Fresh sage — a handful (remedy herb)
Sage Oxymel, Monastic Cellar Remedy
A medicinal syrup of equal parts honey and vinegar, infused with sage, diluted in hot water. The classic remedy of monastic pharmacopoeia, halfway between drink and care, sweet and tart.
Why this dish? Elected already old, Anastasius IV reigned only one year and died aged. The curia's infirmary, heir to monastic medicine, always kept oxymel ready—a mixture of honey and vinegar with herbs—reputed to soothe the elderly, colds, and difficult digestion.
When one has lived as many winters as We have, one knows the value of the simples from the garden. Oxymel, my child, is honey and vinegar in equal parts, in which we infuse blessed sage—*Salvia salvatrix*, say the ancients, the sage that saves. A spoonful in hot water, and the throat loosens, the stomach calms. The infirmary brothers always kept a flask; and even a pope under the tiara is but an old man who coughs when winter comes.
Ingredients (period version)
- Honey — one part (sweetness and preservation)
- Wine vinegar — one part (acidity, medicinal virtue)
- Fresh sage — a handful (remedy herb)
Ingredients
- Honey — 150 ml (sweetness and preservation)
- Wine vinegar (white or red) — 150 ml (acidity, medicinal virtue)
- Fresh sage — 10 leaves (remedy herb)
Method
- Gently warm the honey and vinegar together without boiling.
- Add the sage leaves and infuse off the heat for 20 minutes.
- Rewarm for 5 minutes over very low heat to marry the flavors.
- Strain and pour into a clean, sterilized bottle.
- To serve: dilute a tablespoon of oxymel in a cup of hot water.
- Store in a cool place; the honey-vinegar mixture keeps a long time.
How it was made : Oxymel (from Greek *oxos*, vinegar, and *meli*, honey) is an ancient medicinal preparation transmitted by Arab physicians and medieval monastic infirmaries. Sage was one of the most renowned plants in medicinal gardens, touted as a panacea by the School of Salerno.
The contemporary twist : Serve chilled and diluted with sparkling water in summer: a medieval shrub before its time, tart and refreshing.
Anastasius IV · Charactorium