# What did medieval Muslims drink? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351 "2008-09-12T22:09:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/21 "2014-12-10T12:24:24Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Like **The Devil’s Grandmother** said, there are lots of medieval non-alcoholic drinks (essentially like cordial/squash which are diluted with water to drink ) that were made, such as [Sekanjabin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekanjabin), which is a … The Hindi word for lemonade is [Shikanji](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikanjvi)- which sounds a lot like Sekanjabin. However it is made with lemons + sugar. I do not know which one came first. I believe Lemons originated in India and so did sugar. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/22 "2014-12-10T16:05:31Z")
To be fair to our medieval ancestors… Bathing, sponge baths, and other body hygiene were more commonly practiced in areas where an ice crust was unlikely to form on the filled bathtub. It would take a lot of firewood to make a bath useable in northern Europe whereas in much of the Mediterranean and Middle East, bathing in the ambient temperature was not a health hazard. (Ditto for laundry - easier when it doesn’t freeze solid on the clothesline.) The only issue might be water supply. (I remember on a trip to Egypt and Jordan - in a land where the temperature was well into the 90’s and the locals were dressed in either typical western clothes, or wrapped in long robes - nobody smelled, I don’t recall any cases of BO except the horses and camels which more than compensated for the lack. The Muslim precept to wash the important parts at least, 5 times a day, made a big difference. ) I also wonder about how much climate and being crowded indoors in winter, etc., contributed to the spread of disease in Europe vs. tropical climates. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/23 "2014-12-10T16:42:58Z")
On the subject of hot drinks, cold drinks are better at cooling you off than hot drinks are, but not by a very large margin. The most important thing about drinking is that it keeps you hydrated so you can keep sweating. A slight decrease in efficiency of cooling is well worth it as a tradeoff against not getting sick from contaminated water. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/24 "2014-12-10T17:29:25Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Seeing as coffee originates in some of the hottest places on earth (Ethiopia), that clearly has not been a problem for most of its history. Central Ethiopia is a very high-altitude region, so I doubt it’s really that hot. (The lowland areas, sure, but the cultural heartland of the modern Ethiopian state is high in the mountains). ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/25 "2014-12-10T17:31:57Z")
I’d imagine most of them drank water, and they probably had a higher mortality rate as a consequence. Just like people in poor societies without access to water treatment do today. It’s worth pointing out that in a society with lower population density, drinking contaminated water wouldn’t be _quite_ as big a threat as in a more densely populated one. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/26 "2014-12-10T17:32:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You steep it? (Besides, coffee or tea should generally be made with water that is a little bit under boiling temps, although when preparing Turkish coffee, it is boiled.) Sun-steeping tea or coffee in a glass container for long enough to get a decent strength at room temperature might sterilize the water, depending on how much UV gets through the glass. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/27 "2014-12-10T18:17:17Z")
Having been to some Middle eastern feasts there are a few: Water with Mint Sun-steeped "tea’ with mint. a slightly fermented honey & vinegar drink called _Sekanjabin_. So little alcohol it’s legit. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/28 "2014-12-10T22:54:11Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > How do you make coffee or tea without boiling the water? See: [Sun and “refrigerator” tea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iced_tea#Sun_tea) ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/29 "2014-12-10T23:02:32Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > I’d imagine most of them drank water, and they probably had a higher mortality rate as a consequence. Just like people in poor societies without access to water treatment do today. > > It’s worth pointing out that in a society with lower population density, drinking contaminated water wouldn’t be _quite_ as big a threat as in a more densely populated one. I think too, the problem with contaminated water is more common in high-rainfall areas, where the run-off spreads diseases into wells from the surface; or very high population densities, where a small number’s lack of careful sewage management or personal hygiene hurt quite a few others. Well-water generally is pretty clean. people who have to drink river-water or run-off from villages upstream (Anyone remember “The Man Who Would Be King”?) are more likely to have water-borne disease problems. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/30 "2014-12-10T23:21:22Z")
If you leaves some tea in water for 6 years, you’ll get some pretty potent tea. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/31 "2014-12-11T04:15:14Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I can hardly imagine hot, black coffee on a 100+ degree day, though. Blegch. Water tends to be unsafe (contaminated by pathogens) in warm climates. Boiling water is a good way to make it safe. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/32 "2014-12-11T16:12:54Z")
There were (and still are) also “yoghurt drinks,” such as _ayran_, _doogh_, etc. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/33 "2014-12-11T16:35:17Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > How do you make coffee or tea without boiling the water? If you want iced coffee, you can leave ground coffee to soak overnight in the water. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/34 "2014-12-12T12:49:56Z")
It’s possible to boil water to kill pathogens _and then let it cool down_ before drinking/using it. Crazy, I know. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/35 "2014-12-12T17:51:25Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > It’s possible to boil water to kill pathogens _and then let it cool down_ before drinking/using it. Crazy, I know. What would be the advantage of letting it cool down? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/36 "2014-12-12T18:24:06Z")
Not drinking really hot liquids on a hot day in a hot climate? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/37 "2014-12-12T20:36:57Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Not drinking really hot liquids on a hot day in a hot climate? That’s just a matter of personal preference, probably cultivated by the wide availability of refrigerators and freezers in modern society. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/38 "2014-12-14T16:08:54Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > That’s just a matter of personal preference, probably cultivated by the wide availability of refrigerators and freezers in modern society. Naah, people liked cool drinks in hot climates [before modern tech.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_house_%28building%29#History) ---
**Author:** ![Vegymper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/90db22/32.png) [@Vegymper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vegymper)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/39 "2014-12-14T19:32:10Z")
If you keep your water (boiled or not) inside a non-glazed ceramic pot, the slight evaporation of the water seeping through the pores of the pot will keep the pot quite fresh in a hot weather. And drinking warm water in summer can be quite refreshing; the most of the refrigerating calories come from sweating, not from ingesting cold beverages. We in Argentina drink our mate (you can ask later about this) quite hot, come winter come summer. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351/40 "2014-12-15T04:13:31Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Coffee and tea are just things you add to water, so they would still go under the category water unless they boiled them(?) I have no idea if they did or not. I can hardly imagine hot, black coffee on a 100+ degree day, though. Blegch. Coffee is a favorite traditional beverage in the Arab world, and yes, they do drink it hot, as they do tea. Mocha, one of the oldest geographic origin varieties of coffee, comes from Yemen, right next door to Saudi Arabia. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-medieval-muslims-drink/463351.md?page=1)