A forgotten medieval Chinese brew: mead

A week or so ago, I found a post about a thirteenth-century European mead recipe on the Historical Cookery site. Needless to say, it caught my attention.

For some years, in fact, mead has held a special place in my heart. Like most sugar fiends, I like my drinks sickly sweet: creamy pina coladas, cloying Rieslings, and yes, pineapple cider. Which is why I am perhaps overly fond of meads.

Like most of you, I had assumed that mead was a European drink. So imagine my surprise when I discovered it sitting in a Chinese almanac, first published in 1271 [Shilin guangji 事林廣記].

Cook together 3 jin (1.9 kg) of white crystallized honey and 1 dou (6.7 L) of water; place in a bottle and let cool until warm. Add 2 liang (80 g) of finely powdered starter and 2 liang (80 g) of white leavening agent, then seal with paper. Let rest in a clean place: in Spring or Autumn, for 10 days; in Summer, 7 days; in Winter, 15 days. The bottle contents will spontaneously yield 1 sheng (670 mL, ≈2.8 cups) of superior mead. Drinking a cup or two at night aids in the pursuit of transcendence and cures many illnesses. This mead was often prepared by Imperial Attendant Huo Qingfu for his Majesty. I have drunk it two or three times; it is extremely fine.

I have not tried making alcohol at home, so I can’t speak to its difficulty. Truth be told, I am rather frightened of poisoning myself—and others.

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