This entry is comprised of two distinct forms of Andulusian cordials made from syrups flavoured with various ingredients. The first is an oxymel, which is a generic term for medicinal drinks combining vinegar with sugar syrup. The second is a jalab which is a generic terms for flavoured sugar syrups. Jalabs do not contain vinegar but were equally consumed for their medicinal properties.

The Manuscrito Anonimo translated into Spanish by Ambrosio Huici-Miranda (13th century Andalusian) contains a whole chapter of drink recipes made by boiling fruit juice with sugar or honey and mixing the resulting syrup with water, with a wide range of flavoring. (David Freidmann, August 1990- posting to the Rialto)

These drinks are consumed by SCA groups world-wide as a refreshing period alternative to alcoholic beverages.

Sekanjabin

Sekanjabin is a period drink first mentioned in the Fihrist of al-Nadim, which was written in the tenth century. The recipe used was sourced from a modern cookbook by Claudia Roden, A Book of Middle Eastern Food.

The Recipe
Dissolve 4 cups sugar in 2½ cups of water, when it comes to the boil add 1 cup wine vinegar. Simmer for half an hour. Add a handful of chopped mint, remove from heat and let cool. Dilute resulting syrup to taste with water.

A period recipe found in the Anduliusian Cookbook of the 13th Century (translated by Charles Perry) for a basic oxymel omits the mint.
Take a ratl of strong vinegar and mix it with two ratls of sugar, and cook all this until it takes the form of a syrup. Drink an ûqiya of this with three of hot water when fasting: it is beneficial for fevers of jaundice, and calms jaundice and cuts thirst, since sekanjabin syrup is beneficial in phlegmatic feversa: make it it with six ûqiyas of sour vinegar for a ratl of honey and it is admirable.

What I did
Since it is a simple recipe to replicate in modern times I followed the recipe exactly except for two aspects. I added Apple Cider vinegar instead of wine vinegar as this is a flavour which is popular to the modern palate. The second is that I used a mint sauce instead of fresh mint. The ingredients of the sauce is however limited to mint, vinegar, sugar and water therefore besides saving time it has not altered the ingredients or taste of the sekanjabin.

Rose Cordial

The recipe used was obtained from Her Excellency Mistress Rowan's Cookbook.

The Recipe
500 g sugar
300 ml water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red food colouring (or better: cochineal)
60 ml rosewater (from health food stores)
Make a syrup with the sugar, water, and lemon juice; simmer till it coats the back of a spoon (20-30 minutes). Add rosewater, simmer a couple more minutes.

The period recipes seem numerous and provide options for using rosewater, fresh roses or dried roses. (Anduliusian Cookbook of the 13th Century tr. Charles Perry)
The Recipe for Making a Syrup of Julep
Take five ratls of aromatic rosewater, and two and a half of sugar, cook all this until it takes the consistency of syrups. Drink two šqiyas of this with three of hot water. Its benefits: in phlegmatic fever; it fortifies the stomach and the liver, profits at the onset of dropsy, purifies and lightens the body, and in this it is most extraordinary, God willing.

Syrup of Fresh Roses
Take a ratl of fresh roses, after removing the dirt from them, and cover them with boiled water for a day and a night, until the water cools and the roses fall apart in the water. Clean it and take the clean part of it and add to a ratl of sugar. Cook all this until it takes the form of a syrup. Drink an šqiya of this with two of hot water; its benefits are at the onset of dropsy, and it fortifies the stomach and the liver and the other internal organs, and lightens the constitution; in this it is admirable.

Syrup of Dried Roses
Take a ratl of dried roses, and cover with three ratls of boiling water, for a night, and leave it until they fall apart in the water. Press it and clarify it, take the clear part and add it to two ratls of white sugar, and cook all this until it is in the form of a syrup. Drink an šqiya and a half of this with three of water. Its benefits: it binds the constitution, and benefits at the start of dropsy, fortifies the other internal organs, and provokes the appetite, God willing.

What I did
I used Mistress Rowan's recipe to the letter.

Ginger Jalab

We know that flavoured syrups where widely used and a range of period ingredients were used to target different ailments. This recipe is my extrapolation from a period recipe. The recipes for jalabs range from simple syrups containing one flavouring ingredient to those with several flavouring ingredients. The recipe for this jalab is based on is the "Syrup of Carrots".

Syrup of Carrots
(Anduliusian Cookbook of the 13th Century tr. Charles Perry)
Take four ratls of carrots, after removing the fibers [lit. "nerves"] that are in the centers, and cook them in water to cover until their substance comes out. Then take the clear part of it and add it to three ratls of honey, cleaned of its foam. The bag: ...[about three words missing]... an ûqiya of cubebs, two ûqiyas each of ginger and long pepper, and half an ûqiya of cinnamon and flower of cloves. Cook until it takes the form of a syrup. Drink an ûqiya of this with three of hot water: it is beneficial in the lack of urine, increases desire, and dissolves phlegm, heats the kidneys admirably, and likewise the other parts of the body, God willing.

What I did
While acknowledging the period source of jalabs and the range of period ingredients for this jalab, I decided to cater to more modern tastes since this syrup will be served at an SCA feast. I therefore omitted the carrot, long peppers, cubebs and cloves and made a ginger and cinnamon jalab.

Recipe
Dissolve 4 cups sugar in 2½ cups of water, when it comes to the boil add 5 teaspoons of minced ginger and 2 cinnamon sticks. Simmer for half an hour. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove cinnamon sticks. Dilute resulting syrup to taste with water.

References

David Freidman and Elizabeth Cook, 1988, 1990, 1992 http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/food.html

Anonymous Andulusian Cookbook of the 13th Century tr. Charles Perry.