Spiced Hot Mead (miód pitny korzenny)
Mead warmed and scented with cinnamon, ginger, clove and orange peel. Sweet, spicy, comforting.
Mead warmed and scented with cinnamon, ginger, clove and orange peel. Sweet, spicy, comforting.
When the cold of the lagoon pierces the walls and I keep vigil to scrutinize the march of the planets, nothing comforts better than a cup of miód pitny, that wine of honey that our Prussian forests give us. I warm it gently — never boil, for that would lose its soul — with a stick of cinnamon, a little ginger, and a dried orange peel. Hold your cup with both hands, breathe in its fragrance, and look at the sky with me: it grows less cold when honey warms the blood.
- •Mead (miód pitny) — enough (base)
- •Cinnamon — a stick (spice)
- •Ginger — a little (warming spice)
- •Clove — a few (spice)
- •Orange peel — a piece (fragrant citrus)
- •Honey — to taste (extra sweetness)
Spiced Hot Mead (miód pitny korzenny)
Mead warmed and scented with cinnamon, ginger, clove and orange peel. Sweet, spicy, comforting.
Why this dish? Mead — miód pitny — is the quintessential Polish drink, made for centuries from forest honey. Warmed and spiced, it accompanied long winter nights and, for Copernicus, perhaps the long nights of observation.
When the cold of the lagoon pierces the walls and I keep vigil to scrutinize the march of the planets, nothing comforts better than a cup of miód pitny, that wine of honey that our Prussian forests give us. I warm it gently — never boil, for that would lose its soul — with a stick of cinnamon, a little ginger, and a dried orange peel. Hold your cup with both hands, breathe in its fragrance, and look at the sky with me: it grows less cold when honey warms the blood.
Ingredients (period version)
- Mead (miód pitny) — enough (base)
- Cinnamon — a stick (spice)
- Ginger — a little (warming spice)
- Clove — a few (spice)
- Orange peel — a piece (fragrant citrus)
- Honey — to taste (extra sweetness)
Ingredients
- Mead (miód pitny or commercial mead) — 750 ml (base)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (spice)
- Fresh ginger — 3 slices (spice)
- Cloves — 3 (spice)
- Orange peel (unwaxed) — 1 strip (citrus)
- Honey — 1 tbsp (optional) (adjust sweetness)
Method
- Pour the mead into a saucepan with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and orange peel.
- Heat gently without ever boiling (alcohol and aromas would evaporate).
- Let infuse for 10 minutes at a very low simmer, taste and adjust with honey.
- Strain and serve hot in cups.
How it was made : Mead was produced throughout Poland and Lithuania from forest honey, sometimes fermented for months. It was drunk plain or spiced (korzenny), and warming it with Eastern spices made it a festive and comforting winter beverage.
The contemporary twist : Non-alcoholic version for families: replace mead with a mix of apple juice + water + 2 tbsp honey, same spices.
Nicolas Copernicus · Charactorium
