flipYayin bidvash — wine mixed with honey and spices
Yayin bidvash — wine mixed with honey and spices
Why this dish? The day the Ark entered Jerusalem, David danced with all his might before the Lord, then distributed to all the people, men and women, bread, meat, and a raisin cake (2 Samuel 6). Judean wine, sweetened with honey and warmed with spices, accompanied these feasts where the king-poet sang his joy.
Light red wine warmed with honey, dates, and a hint of cinnamon and coriander, served in a cup on days of gladness. Sweet, fruity, lightly spiced.
Lift the cup with me! The day the Ark ascended to the city, I danced until my cloak fell off, unashamed before the Lord. We sweeten the wine with honey and dates, throw in a whisper of fragrant bark, and pass it from hand to hand so that none go dry. Wine gladdens the heart of man — drink, then, and let your heart sing.
- •Red wine — a pitcher (base)
- •Wild honey — by the ladle (sweetness)
- •Dates — a handful (sweetness and body)
- •Cinnamon (bark) — a fragment (spice)
- •Coriander seeds — a pinch (flavor)
Yayin bidvash — wine mixed with honey and spices
Light red wine warmed with honey, dates, and a hint of cinnamon and coriander, served in a cup on days of gladness. Sweet, fruity, lightly spiced.
Why this dish? The day the Ark entered Jerusalem, David danced with all his might before the Lord, then distributed to all the people, men and women, bread, meat, and a raisin cake (2 Samuel 6). Judean wine, sweetened with honey and warmed with spices, accompanied these feasts where the king-poet sang his joy.
Lift the cup with me! The day the Ark ascended to the city, I danced until my cloak fell off, unashamed before the Lord. We sweeten the wine with honey and dates, throw in a whisper of fragrant bark, and pass it from hand to hand so that none go dry. Wine gladdens the heart of man — drink, then, and let your heart sing.
Ingredients (period version)
- Red wine — a pitcher (base)
- Wild honey — by the ladle (sweetness)
- Dates — a handful (sweetness and body)
- Cinnamon (bark) — a fragment (spice)
- Coriander seeds — a pinch (flavor)
Ingredients
- Light red wine — 75 cl (base)
- Honey — 3 tbsp (sweetness)
- Pitted dates — 5 (body)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (spice)
- Coriander seeds — 1/2 tsp, crushed (flavor)
Method
- Pour the wine into a saucepan with honey, split dates, cinnamon, and coriander.
- Warm gently without boiling until aromas are released (10 minutes).
- Let steep off the heat for another 10 minutes.
- Strain and serve warm in cups; non-alcoholic version: replace wine with red grape juice.
- For children at school, use only the grape juice version.
How it was made : Ancient wine, often diluted with water and stored in jars, was improved and sweetened with honey or fruit; spices masked the sourness of aging vintages. Religious and royal feasts always included libations.
The contemporary twist : Served chilled with a slice of fresh fig, this 'king-poet's wine' becomes a summer punch; in grape juice version, it delights the whole family table.
Sources : Hebrew Bible, 2 Samuel 6:14-19; Psalm 104:15 ('wine that gladdens the heart of man') · Patrick E. McGovern, *Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture*, Princeton, 2003
David · Charactorium
