Oxymel (redaction)

Oxymel is a honey & vinegar syrup that is more European. Oxymel can be found in Hippocrates' On Regimen in Acute Diseases (460-380 BC), which mentions Oxymel repeatedly with explanations for its proper use in medicinal treatment but does not provide a recipe for the drink. In Greek Oxymel translates to "acid-honey" providing us with a basic recipe of vinegar (acid) and honey, with the diluting water being self-evident.

Original

Galen provides us with a recipe in Chapter 6 of Book 4 of Staying Healthy nearly 6 centuries after Hippocrates:

Oxymeli – Honey Vinegar

Simmer honey until it foams, discard, the scum, add enough vinegar to make it neither too sharp nor too sweet, boil again until it is mixed and not raw. For use, mix with water, just as you would mix wine with water.

My Redaction

Although it appears that much of Oxymel is presumed to be to taste, here is a redaction by Anahita bint 'abd alKarim al-hakim al-Fassi:

Oxymel

• 1-1/2 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Red or White Wine Vinegar

Mix honey and vinegar; simmer until well blended; cool.

This syrup is added, water to taste like the sekanjabin syrup, though I tend to add much more water to oxymel than sekanjabin.