Bring Meaning & Magic to Your Yuletide Season
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Saturnalia Wine Many of the holiday celebrations that have had the greatest impact on today’s Yuletide came from the Roman Empire. The most famous was Saturnalia, which was a week of feasting in honor of the Roman agricultural deity Saturn that took place in mid-December, from December 17 through the 23rd. Originally a one-day holiday celebrated on the 17th, Saturnalia eventually evolved into an entire week of merriment. The Romans loved their Saturnalia wine, and while they usually drank it cold, they also enjoyed it warm (and most certainly at room temperature, too!). In the first century CE, a recipe for Saturnalia wine was written down in the Roman cookbook Apicius, generally attributed to the Roman writer Marcus Gavius Apicius. The recipe here, excerpted from Llewellyn’s Little Book of Yule, isn’t exactly like the one found in the Apicius, but it’s close.
You Will Need: 2 cups honey 2 bottles white wine 2 dates or 3 dried figs or 2 tablespoons raisins (Choose only one of these options!)
2 teaspoons black pepper 4 bay leaves Several strands of saffron Start by pouring the honey into a large saucepan and adding one cup of wine. Bring to a boil, stirring as you go. Once the honey is dissolved in the wine, add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for ten minutes. After letting the wine cool for a bit, you’ll have to strain the sediment out of it. I think the easiest way to do this is by pouring the mixture into a large pitcher, using a traditional wire mesh strainer to remove any bits in the wine. Once you’ve strained the wine, put it in the fridge for a few hours to let all the ingredients fuse together. You can then drink it chilled or heat it back up for those cold winter nights.
