- "Something
Different"
- A Colonial
Drink That Still Refreshes
- BY DANA JACOBI
FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
On my first visit to Colonial
Williamsburg in Virginia, over a Memorial Day weekend, I was
as enchanted by the food and drink as by the women’s tightly
corseted dresses, clanging blacksmith demonstrations, and the
sense of tasting another time. I was twelve years old, so dining
by flickering candlelight, using a three-pronged fork and a bulbous,
pistol-handled knife with its long, curving blade was more challenging
than romantic.
The Virginia weather was hot
and humid. Our hotel was air-conditioned, but at the Williamsburg
restoration, it was authentically oppressive, indoors and out.
The sticky weather made me particularly curious about what people
drank before the days of refrigeration in order to cool off,
and how farm-hands and hard-working indentured servants quenched
what must have been an endless thirst. Even the Governor’s
lady hardly led a life of cool comfort compared to today, and
must have needed something bracingly restorative.
People back then placed whatever
they wanted cooled in cold cellars and running streams. Needless
to say, soda and ice were out of the question. Even fruit juices
were a rarity, though lemonade was popular. It was often honey-sweetened,
as sugar was a luxury.
On the other hand, people did
partake of concoctions with enchanting names like “syllabub”
and “shrub.” With syllabub, a creamy blend, the main
point was spooning up the airy froth on top. For a long time,
this foam was thought to be the result of shooting milk directly
from a cow’s udder into a pitcher containing a sweet blend
of cider and spices, but modern experiments disproved that theory.
The secret, it turns out, was simply whipping it up by hand.
Shrubs rely on the bracing
tartness of vinegar. Old cookery books indicate they were made
by crushing fresh raspberries or other fruit in vinegar, leaving
the mixture overnight, straining it and sweetening it to taste.
Eventually, recipes including milk appeared. Today, I make shrub
using fruit juices, topping off the glass with refreshing, ice
cold club soda.
Strawberry Shrub - Serves 4
1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries,
hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup reduced-fat (2 percent)
milk
2 cups chilled club soda
4 mint sprigs, for garnish
Place berries, sugar and orange
juice in blender. Whirl until berries are pureed. Add milk, and
blend until smooth.
Divide purée among 4
chilled glasses. Top off each glass with 1/2 cup soda. Garnish
with mint. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 117 calories, 1 g. total fat (<1 g. saturated
fat), 26 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. protein, <1 g. dietary fiber,
42 mg. sodium.
_______________________________________
“Something Different”
is written for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy, and recipe creator
for AICR’s Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.
AICR offers a Nutrition Hotline (1-800-843-8114) 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. ET Monday-Friday. This free service allows you to ask a
registered dietitian questions about diet, nutrition and cancer.
AICR is the only major cancer charity focused exclusively on
the link between diet, nutrition and cancer. It provides a range
of education programs that help Americans learn to make changes
for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research
in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals
and research centers across the U.S. It has provided more than
$65 million for research in diet, nutrition and cancer. AICR’s
Web address is www.aicr.org.
AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.
_______________________________________
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RECIPE POSTED MAY 18, 2003
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