The beverage is a serious concern for the host, those liquid refreshments offered must be refreshing and flavorful enough to be enjoyable, and must complement the meal.
Beer and wine are not always the wisest selections, for a variety of reasons.

One option, from the Menagier de Paris is a Barley Water, originally intended for the sick.

( Transscribed from
Le Menagier de Paris By Albertano, Jean Bruyant, Renault, Société des bibliophiles françois (Paris, France)

Tizanne Doulce. Prenez de l'eaue et faites boulir, puis mettez pour chascun sextier d'eaue une escuelle d'orge largement, et ne chault s'elle est a tout l'escorce, et pour doux parisis de réglisse, (item) des figues, et sois tant bouly que l'orge creve; puis soit coulee en deux ou trois toiles, et mis en chascun gobelet grant foison de succere en roche. Puis est bonne icelle orge a donner a mengier a la poulaille pour engressier.

Nota que la bonne réglisse et la plus nouvelle, et est en la taille de vive coleur vergaie, et la vielle, et de plus fade et morte, et seche.

( translation by Power, 1928 )
Tizanne Doulce. Take water and boil it, then for each sester ( here no doubt the sester of 8 pints ) put in a bowl heaped with barley and it matters not if it be hulls and all, and teo parisis ( 2.5 d. ) worth of liquorice, (item) and figs, and let it be boiuled til the barley bursts, then let it be strained through two or three pieces of linen, and in each goblet put great plenty of crystallised sugar. Then the barley is good to give to poultry to eat to fatten them.

1 gallon of water
2 lbs barley, rinsed
a stick of very fresh licorice, health food store or many Indian markets
1/4c figs ( fresh, dried, or preserve of plain figs ) often found in cheese departments
and an unknown ingredient, which is listed as "item". Hopefully research will find an image of the manuscript ( it is no longer available online ), and some educated guesses might be made.
served over crystallised sugar

Boil water. Add barley, licorice, and fig, simmer til

Place a teaspoon of coarse sugar in a glass, or place a rock candy stick into a glass.


In looking for information on the use of d as a measure, the value and the weight of the coin have both presented themselves as possibilities.
If the weight is implied,
8 drams to the ounce, ( usually liquid measure )
20 pennyweights ( also referred to as d. ) to a troy ounce, which is 1.097 AVDP ( common ) ounces

For the purposes of experimentation, the decision was made to use "a little", as licorice is not a preferred flavor here.

This makes a sweet, light, refreshing beverage well suited to summer.
The barley was made into a frumenty, a type of savory hot cereal dish.

A feast

This being a Sunday, and not a historical day of fasting, we indulge in a bit of rich food. The pease are growing well in the garden, we have lettuces and radishes, roots and leaves of good flavor and sweetness. Berries and cream are here, the cows are freshened and the cheesemaking goes apace.
It is a busy time, planting and picking, feasting on fresh delights and preparing for the winter ahead.


This recipe from An Early Northern Cookbook, Libellus de Arte Coquinaria isbn 0966982647

Recipe XVII D14
About a dish called Kalus; sweet milk
One should take fresh milk and cut into it the crust of wheat bread, cut into small dice. Afterwards, place this in a pan and add well beaten egg yolks. This is called "Kalus"

de cibo qui vacatur kalus, saeta mjolk
Maadr skal taka saeta mjolk, & skera Par i skorpuna af hveiti braudi & skera svo smatt sem teninga, & sidan lata Pat i ponnu; lata Par til rauda af eggium vel slegit. Pat heitir kalus.



Note the lack of mention of heat, seasoning, or preferred texture. Is the bread to sit and absorb the fresh milk for a time? Is it to be a thickened eggnog type of enriched milk beverage?

"Afterwards" is stated, implying "after the bread crusts are cut in". Does this also imply after the milk has soaked into the crusts for a time? Is it possible that this is a rich milksop, served cool and uncooked, intended for the frail?

Assuming that the statement "place in a pan" implies service for several, is it intended as a treat?

Is there an implication of heat being applied in said pan, as pans are frequently for cooking, rather than cold service?

My take on things, with a ( modern ) preference for cooked eggs;
a quart of milk
a loaf of slightly stale bread
1/2 doz egg yolks

Cube the bread to about 2" cubes.
soak in the milk
fold in the eggs.

Bake at 350 for 25 mins

Modern adaptation might consider this a baked french toast.

We had this with fresh raspberries.

The questions raised by such a simple, three ingredient recipe point clearly at how little we can afford to take for granted when trying to make sense of the historical diet.