10-10-2008, 05:35 PM
Vinegar water was called posca. Mostly water, enough vinegar to kill waterborne critters, maybe about a tablespoon per liter. It was most likely wine vinegar, not the white or apple sort we usually buy in grocery stores today. They had a steady supply of "soured" wine, no doubt, as airtightness wasn't their long suit, once the amphora had been opened.
Surprisingly, it's not unrefreshing at all, and doesn't taste bad. Sort of like unsweetened KoolAid. On more than an overnight camp, I generally add a little lemon or lime juice to the canteen, more to combat the stale, unoxygenated taste of "old water" than for health reasons.
And the Romans wouldn't have had a good way to make ice, so they'd only be able to get ice in the winter, which is not the best time to drink cold beverages, typically. So they probably didn't know anything about iced tea. But if they lived here in Texas, they'd surely drink it when the temperature warms up to about August 20th levels. 38 or 39 degrees C are normal, not uncommon. A cold drink can be a lifesaver.
Surprisingly, it's not unrefreshing at all, and doesn't taste bad. Sort of like unsweetened KoolAid. On more than an overnight camp, I generally add a little lemon or lime juice to the canteen, more to combat the stale, unoxygenated taste of "old water" than for health reasons.
And the Romans wouldn't have had a good way to make ice, so they'd only be able to get ice in the winter, which is not the best time to drink cold beverages, typically. So they probably didn't know anything about iced tea. But if they lived here in Texas, they'd surely drink it when the temperature warms up to about August 20th levels. 38 or 39 degrees C are normal, not uncommon. A cold drink can be a lifesaver.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
