Medieval Monday: Pasta, Anyone?

XLII. PASTA (TRIJ)
Nature: Warm and moist in second degree.
Optimum: That which is prepared with great care.
Usefulness: It is good for the chest and for the throat.
Dangers: It is harmful to weak intestines and to the stomach.
Neutralization of the Dangers: With sweet barley.
Effects: Very nourishing. It is good for hot stomach, for the young, in Winter, and in all regions.
(Vienna, f. 45v)

Do you love pasta? I'd like to dedicate today's Medieval Monday post to our grandchildren, Colette and Oliver, who are vacationing with their parents in Italy right now. Like their beautiful mommy Julia, they are pasta-lovers. 

I'm sharing this color plate from the Vienna Tacuinum because along with its notation, it made me smile. It seems that like all foods, even pasta should be prepared with loving care for optimum nourishment. I would not have guessed that it's good for chest and throat, but for Julia's and the babies' sakes, I'll accept.

But barley? Could it possibly reduce that full feeling after enjoying a healthy portion of one's favorite pasta? Has anyone tried it lately? In any case, the particular medieval physician clearly believed in his carbs!

In my handbook's collection, grapes are showcased on the facing page. A wonderfully Italian display, don't you agree?  

It doesn't have to be in a health manual to know that a little fun and relaxation is good for you -- but there it is! So why not enjoy a little pasta, some vino, and la dolce vita?

​Salute!

For more Medieval Monday, be sure to visit:

Mary's Tavern

Barbara Bettis