Lady Margaret of Buckrode
Documentation for HIPPOCRAS
Recipe:
(Original from Le Mnagier de Paris by unknown author, translated by Janet Hinson1)
To make powdered hippocras, take a quarter-ounce of very fine cinnamon, hand-picked by tasting it, an ounce
of very fine meche ginger and an ounce of grains of paradise, a sixth of an ounce of nutmeg and galingale
together, and pound it all together. And when you want to make hippocras, take a good half-ounce or more of
this powder and two quarter-ounces of sugar, and mix them together, and a quart of wine as measured in Paris.
And note that the powder and the sugar mixed together make "duke's powder".
Version II (my insertion, a variation of this recipe is listed immediately below the first one in the text)
To make a quart or a quarter-ounce of hippocras by the measure used in Besiers, Carcassonne, or Montpelier,
take five drams of fine select clean cinnamon, select peeled white ginger, three drams: of clove, grains, mace,
galingale, nutmeg, nard, altogether one and a fourth drams: more of the first, and of the others less and less of
each as you go down the list. Grind to powder, and with this put a pound and half a quarter-ounce, by the
heavier measure, of ground rock sugar, and mix with the aforesaid spices; and have wine and the sugar melted
on a dish on the fire, and add the powder, and mix: then put in the straining-bag, and strain until it comes out a
clear red. Note that the cinnamon and the sugar should dominate.
(Redaction my own)
To make powdered hippocras take a quarter ounce of cinnamon, tasted, an ounce of ginger and an ounce of
grains of paradise, a sixth of an ounce nutmeg and galingale each and grind it together. When you want to make
hippocras take a half ounce or so of this powder and an equal amount sugar mixing them together with a quart
of wine measured in Paris. Note that the powder and sugar mixed make dukes powder.
Version II
To make a quart or quarter ounce of hippocras using the measure in Besiers, Carcassonne, or Montpilier, take
five drams of cinnamon, and white ginger, take three drams of cloves, grains of paradise, mace, galingale,
nutmeg, and spikenard using more of the first ingredient and less of the others as you follow the list. Grind into
a powder and add sugar; add the mix to heated wine and sugar over heat and once the sugar is melted strain
until the wine is clear. Note that sugar and cinnamon should dominate the mix.
Origin:
Le Mnagier de Paris is a French housewifes guide published in 1393.
Explanation:
I am only using the spices listed in an effort to accurately recreate douce powder which is also referred to as
dukes and good powder a sweet spice blend used in period in various dishes.
I also changed the ratio of spices slightly using a lesser amount of cloves than called for because I found that
using the proportion of cloves called for over whelmed the rest of the spices and I also increased the proportion of
nutmeg and mace used because those spices in particular were over whelmed by all of the other ingredients.
1) Le Mnagier de Paris, unknown author, Translation by Janet Hinson, 1393 (translation undated), France
