Whey as a Medicinal Drink

1

Fig. 1: 14th c. Tacuinum of Paris (ricotta cheese)English: Ricotta (Recocta)

“Nature: froid et humide. Optimum: Celui qui est obtenu à partir de lait pur. Usage: Il nourrit le corps et l’engraisse. Dangers: Il provoque des occlusions, est difficile à digérer, et favorise les coliques”

Translation:“Nature: Cold and humid. Optimum: That obtained from pure milk. Usefulness: It nourishes the body and fattens it. Dangers: It causes occlusions, is difficult to digest, and favors colic.” [From the Tacuinum of Paris, Français : Ricotta (Recocta)]

Historical Information & Discussion:

1Tacuina sanitatis (XIV century), Making Ricotta Cheese, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tacuin_Ricotta31.jpg

Description 8-alimenti, latte, Taccuino Sanitatis, Casanatense 4182..jpg

Whey is a by product left from cheese making and was a useful tool for the cook, the farmer, and the physician. There has been much written during the Middle Ages that spoke of the nature of many food items. The nature they were referencing talked about either the hot or cold nature as they believed how they acted on the bodies humors (reference fig. 1 above).

The use I have presented for you here is as a medicinal drink similar to a soothing herbal tea. The last two lines of Scappi’s “To Make Purified Whey of Goat Milk” is the most concise source to date that I have seen, and the most direct in stating the uses for whey. The recipe states that when one was done making ricotta cheese the whey left could be flavored with Rose Petals and implies that it is being used as a medicinal drink for the sick by stating “one can give it to drink, or do it another way dependent upon the instructions of the physician.”

Hippocrates (460~370 B.C.) is called the father of medicine; he prescribed whey to his patients, and is quoted as saying “May your foods be your medicines.”2 The following is also attributed to Hippocrates “… when Adrianus, the son of Ceneus, had a pain all round the belly, and discharged by stool a large quantity of bloody matter, for twenty days, prescribed goats whey, boiled…(he goes on in his instructions) whey warmed by heated flints…that after a patient has drank whey and milk...”3 Hippocrates called whey Serum, and was also prescribed by Galen of Pergamon (129~217 A.D.) to the sick.

Galen of Pergamon a Physician of the 2nd century had a considerable amount to say about the uses of whey. He drew on the writings of Hippocrates and others as a foundation for his own writings on the subject. Galen speaks of the virtues of whey by saying “…Simple whey is particularly proper for tender patients…whey is also safely exhibited to children, women, and old persons, even during the heat of a fever…The use of whey is singularly effectual to patients laboring under diabetes...”4

Another Roman physician whose writings Galen drew upon for information on whey was Aulus Cornelius Celsus (ca 25~50 B.C.) who wrote De Medicina a primary source for information on diet, pharmacy, and surgery.5 Celsus described the purgative quality of whey. He writes that “…whey of goat’s milk, is in itself an innocent medicine, and that species is best which is made from the milk of black goats, who feed in good pastures, and have lately brought a kid…”6 This last bit of information brings one to wonder why unless you have a basic knowledge of animal husbandry. The richest milk of any lactating animal is found in the earliest part year while the animal is feeding on rich new pastures, recently given birth, and thus will have the highest in fat content in their milk at this time of the year.

2Organic Whey, History of Whey, http://theorganicwhey.com/whey/history-of-whey 3Hoffmann, Friedrich, A treatise on the vitrues and uses of whey, London, 1761,pg.17~20, http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?id=SwtbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader 4Hoffmann, Friedrich, A treatise on the vitrues and uses of whey, London, 1761,pg.17~20, http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?id=SwtbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader5Aulus Cornelius Celsus, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulus_Cornelius_Celsus 6Hoffmann, Friedrich, A treatise on the vitrues and uses of whey, London, 1761,pg.17~20, http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?id=SwtbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader

Hildegard von Bingen wrote extensively on the art of healing she drew on many of the ancient sources mentioned above she especially like the writings of Galen of Pergamon.7 She divided foods into their healing capabilities (see a similar example in fig. 1) and talked about the nature of foods describing them as hot or cool. Specifically under healthy drinks she recommended that one should drink “rose hip or sage teas, and goat milk.” She also goes on to say that “Butter and cream from the cow are good, but milk and cheese are better from the goat.”8

Whey by it nature is more easily digested when the casein and solids are removed during the cheese making process (primary & secondary cheese). What is left behind has beneficial bacteria we now call Probiotics.9 These aid in digestion similar in fashion to modern yogurts that have had beneficial bacteria add to them. By mixing or infusing herbs into the whey you are also introducing additional healing elements and vitamins.

My guess here is that roses are being added as they may contain additional sources of vitamin C. 10 What I have chosen for use in this application are Rose Petals (rosa rugosa) purchased from Spicewells.11 I also was concerned that roses gathered from my garden may not be free of harmful items. So the rose petals used here are food grade for human consumption for safety reasons. According to the nutritional aspects of Rose Hips (Rosa canina) fresh rose hips contain 0.5 to 1.7% vitamin C, but the vitamin C content of dried rose hips varies.12

I have also chosen to add Honey to the steeped mixture of whey and rose petals for several reasons. Scappi wrote “one can give it to drink, or do it another way...” The other way for me was to a add honey. I am using the honey as a natural sweetener that was used during the middle ages. The healing properties of Honey have also long been advocated by ancient healers. Modern science has verified the benefits of honey for many health issues. Here honey adds an additional element of energy, an additional source of Probiotics that occur naturally in the honey, and as a sweetener making the drink more pleasing. I prefer mine with the honey, but you have the choice of not adding it if you wish.

In short Scappi in this one short paragraph shows us the three basic phases of cheese making: 1. the primary cheese, 2. a secondary cheese [in this case a ricotta], 3. Whey as a drink. Scappi also referenced the whey as a medicinal drink by saying “ one can give it to drink, or do it another way dependent upon the instructions of the physician”. There are other references to these three processes in other writings but none are as short and concise as this one.

7Throop, Priscilla, Hildegard von Bingen's – Physica (health & healing), Healing Arts Press, 1998, pg.21 & 1318Hidegard von Bigen, http://www.hildegardvonbingen.de9Mullan, Michael, Dairy Science Food Technology, Probiotic microorganisms in food – Properties, benefits, safety, and enumeration,, http://www.dairyscience.info/index.php/probiotics.html , 201110

Rose Hips, Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health http://www.drugs.com/npc/rose-hips.html

11 Rose Hips. Review of Natural Products. Facts and comparisons, 2005, Available from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

12Rose Hips – Nutritional Uses, Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health, http://www.drugs.com/npc/rose-hips.html

Setting:The drink here is more in the category of a soothing herbal drink similar to a herbal tea, and that is the way I am presenting it here. But due to additional properties present in the whey, rose petals, and honey it would also have been used as a health drink during the Middle Ages.

13 Hildegard von Bingen, Miniatur aus dem Rupertsberger Codex des Liber Scivias

Period Source:Translated by:Helewyse de Birkestad, February 2011, (mka Louise Smithson)

Per fare siero di latte di Capra purificato Cap LXVIII, Sesto Libro, Opera diBartolomeo ScappiPiglisi il latte munto all’hora, & pongasi dentro il quaglio, o presame, &come è preso pongasi al foco lento lontan dalla fiamma, & come il latte viene ascaldarsi, si caverà con destrezza il cascio, che in alcuni lochi si dimandastruccoli, pongasi poi dentro un poco d’aceto o d’agresto, & facciasi bollirpian piano, fin’a tanto che haverà fatta la ricotta, & passisi per unsetaccio fisso, & ripassisi per la calzetta di bombagina bianca, & se esso siero sivorràcon le rose, si lascierà stare in infusion per tre hore, & piu o meno second ilbisogno, & come sarà stato il sopradetto termine con le rose, si colerà unaltra volta per lo setaccio, & si sarà intepidire per forza d’acqua calda, &all’hora si potrà dare a bere, e farne altro secondo che sarà commesso dal Phisico.

To make purified whey of Goat milk. Chapter 68, 6th book, ScappiTake milk collected within the hour, and put inside of it rennet or thistlejuice (used as a curding agent) and when it is ready put it to a slow fire a long way from the flame. When the milk starts to warm one takes carefully from it the cheese that inanother place one presses. Put then inside (the whey) a little vinegar orverjuice and let it boil very slowly until the ricotta is made (reference fig.1 above), and

13Hildegard von Bingen Miniatur aus dem Rupertsberger Codex des Liber Scivias.

pass it through a basket hair sieve, and pass it again through the stocking of cottonstuff. And if you want the whey with rose one leaves it to infuse for threehours or more or less dependent upon your needs. And when it has finished withthe roses one strains it another time through the hair sieve. And one can warm it up with a little hot water and immediately one can give it to drink, or do itanother way dependent upon the instructions of the physician . 14

Modern:Take the Whey that remains after making Ricotta, warm it to 90º~95º using the indirect heating method, make a bouquet garni (rose pedals placed in a piece of fine cheese cloth and tied with string) of rose pedals and place in the warmed whey for 2~3 hours. Strain it again thru a fine piece of linen (or a yogurt strainer also works) to remove any remaining particles left from the cheese making process. Store in a clean glass jar with a lid until ready to drink; to drink mix it with a little warm water to bring it to a comfortable and soothing drinking temperature. One may also add honey to taste if desired. Supplies:1 pint Whey (from my cheese making)

Note: this whey is a mixture of goat and cow whey because this is what had on hand.

¼ cup of dried petals (rosa rugosa) tied into a piece of fine butter cheese cloth to make a bouquet garniAs much warm water as needed to make a mug of liquid warm (8~10oz)1 tsp. of honey if desired (or honey to taste)2 non reactive pots to be used double boiler fashion1 clean glass jar with a lid that can be placed into a pot of hot water to sterilize it.1 strainer (to place the linen into for straining / you can also use a large rubber band and the mouth of the jar making a small well to act as a filter)1 piece of fine linen (or a yogurt strainer)

Conclusion:

I personally like herbal teas that contained rose hips and knew of their soothing properties. In addition I already knew about the medicinal uses of whey & honey during the middle ages. A discussion with Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad and my cheese making brought about her showing me a recipe from Scappi that made the start of this journey possible.

Knowledge about the uses of whey being used as a drink for the sick and documenting the practice are often two very different things. Knowing a thing and proving it with a period source can often prove a challenge. General principles as to why whey was being given to the sick seemed to be common knowledge among healers, and herbalist of the day. Upon further reading it became apparent that this was a common practice 14

Scappi, B., Opera : (dell' arte del cucinare). Reprint. First published: Opera di M. Bartolomeo Scappi. Venice, 1570. 1981, Bologna: Arnaldo Forni. [20], 436 leaves [ca. 888 p.], [28] p. of plates. Available online from Google books., Translated by Louise Smithson, (Helewyse de Birkestad) February 2011, http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/scacooksitalian/message/289

referenced by such great Physicians as Hippocrates. As well as many sources that talked about the properties of whey being used for the sick and combining it with other elements to produce a drink. This has been quite the learning experience.

I hope you enjoy the drink.

Fig. 2 whey