The document discusses the historical use of whey as a medicinal drink dating back to ancient Greek physicians. Hippocrates and Galen prescribed whey to patients for various ailments. Medieval sources like Hildegard von Bingen also recommended whey and described its cooling properties. The document provides a modern interpretation of a 16th century recipe from Bartolomeo Scappi for making a whey drink infused with rose petals and honey intended to soothe and nourish the sick.

1. Whey as a Medicinal Drink
1
Fig. 1: 14th c. Tacuinum of Paris (ricotta cheese)
English: Ricotta (Recocta)
“Nature: froid et humide. Optimum: Celui qui est obtenu à partir de lait pur. Usage: Il
nourrit le corps et l’engraisse. Dangers: Il provoque des occlusions, est difficile à digérer,
et favorise les coliques”
Translation:
“Nature: Cold and humid. Optimum: That obtained from pure milk. Usefulness: It
nourishes the body and fattens it. Dangers: It causes occlusions, is difficult to digest, and
favors colic.” [From the Tacuinum of Paris, Français : Ricotta (Recocta)]
Historical Information & Discussion:
Whey is a by product left from cheese making and was a useful tool for the cook, the
farmer, and the physician. There has been much written during the Middle Ages that
1
Tacuina sanitatis (XIV century), Making Ricotta Cheese, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tacuin_Ricotta31.jpg
Description 8-alimenti, latte, Taccuino Sanitatis, Casanatense 4182..jpg

2. spoke of the nature of many food items. The nature they were referencing talked about
either the hot or cold nature as they believed how they acted on the bodies humors
(reference fig. 1 above).
The use I have presented for you here is as a medicinal drink similar to a soothing herbal
tea. The last two lines of Scappi’s “To Make Purified Whey of Goat Milk” is the most
concise source to date that I have seen, and the most direct in stating the uses for whey.
The recipe states that when one was done making ricotta cheese the whey left could be
flavored with Rose Petals and implies that it is being used as a medicinal drink for the
sick by stating “one can give it to drink, or do it another way dependent upon the
instructions of the physician.”
Hippocrates (460~370 B.C.) is called the father of medicine; he prescribed whey to his
patients, and is quoted as saying “May your foods be your medicines.”2 The following is
also attributed to Hippocrates “… when Adrianus, the son of Ceneus, had a pain all round
the belly, and discharged by stool a large quantity of bloody matter, for twenty days,
prescribed goats whey, boiled…(he goes on in his instructions) whey warmed by
heated flints…that after a patient has drank whey and milk...”3 Hippocrates called
whey Serum, and was also prescribed by Galen of Pergamon (129~217 A.D.) to the sick.
Galen of Pergamon a Physician of the 2nd century had a considerable amount to say about
the uses of whey. He drew on the writings of Hippocrates and others as a foundation for
his own writings on the subject. Galen speaks of the virtues of whey by saying “…
Simple whey is particularly proper for tender patients…whey is also safely exhibited
to children, women, and old persons, even during the heat of a fever…The use of whey is
singularly effectual to patients laboring under diabetes...”4
Another Roman physician whose writings Galen drew upon for information on whey was
Aulus Cornelius Celsus (ca 25~50 B.C.) who wrote De Medicina a primary source for
information on diet, pharmacy, and surgery.5 Celsus described the purgative quality of
whey. He writes that “…whey of goat’s milk, is in itself an innocent medicine, and
that species is best which is made from the milk of black goats, who feed in good
pastures, and have lately brought a kid…”6 This last bit of information brings one to
wonder why unless you have a basic knowledge of animal husbandry. The richest milk
of any lactating animal is found in the earliest part year while the animal is feeding on
rich new pastures, recently given birth, and thus will have the highest in fat content in
their milk at this time of the year.
2
Organic Whey, History of Whey, http://theorganicwhey.com/whey/history-of-whey
3
Hoffmann, Friedrich, A treatise on the vitrues and uses of whey, London, 1761,pg.17~20, http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?
id=SwtbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader
4
Hoffmann, Friedrich, A treatise on the vitrues and uses of whey, London, 1761,pg.17~20, http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?
id=SwtbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader
5
Aulus Cornelius Celsus, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulus_Cornelius_Celsus
6
Hoffmann, Friedrich, A treatise on the vitrues and uses of whey, London, 1761,pg.17~20, http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?
id=SwtbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader

3. Hildegard von Bingen wrote extensively on the art of healing she drew on many of the
ancient sources mentioned above she especially like the writings of Galen of Pergamon.7
She divided foods into their healing capabilities (see a similar example in fig. 1) and
talked about the nature of foods describing them as hot or cool. Specifically under
healthy drinks she recommended that one should drink “rose hip or sage teas, and goat
milk.” She also goes on to say that “Butter and cream from the cow are good, but milk
and cheese are better from the goat.”8
Whey by it nature is more easily digested when the casein and solids are removed during
the cheese making process (primary & secondary cheese). What is left behind has
beneficial bacteria we now call Probiotics.9 These aid in digestion similar in fashion to
modern yogurts that have had beneficial bacteria add to them. By mixing or infusing
herbs into the whey you are also introducing additional healing elements and vitamins.
My guess here is that roses are being added as they may contain additional sources of
vitamin C. 10 What I have chosen for use in this application are Rose Petals (rosa rugosa)
purchased from Spicewells.11 I also was concerned that roses gathered from my garden
may not be free of harmful items. So the rose petals used here are food grade for human
consumption for safety reasons. According to the nutritional aspects of Rose Hips (Rosa
canina) fresh rose hips contain 0.5 to 1.7% vitamin C, but the vitamin C content of dried
rose hips varies.12
I have also chosen to add Honey to the steeped mixture of whey and rose petals for
several reasons. Scappi wrote “one can give it to drink, or do it another way...” The
other way for me was to a add honey. I am using the honey as a natural sweetener that
was used during the middle ages. The healing properties of Honey have also long been
advocated by ancient healers. Modern science has verified the benefits of honey for
many health issues. Here honey adds an additional element of energy, an additional
source of Probiotics that occur naturally in the honey, and as a sweetener making the
drink more pleasing. I prefer mine with the honey, but you have the choice of not adding
it if you wish.
In short Scappi in this one short paragraph shows us the three basic phases of cheese
making: 1. the primary cheese, 2. a secondary cheese [in this case a ricotta], 3. Whey as a
drink. Scappi also referenced the whey as a medicinal drink by saying “ one can give it
to drink, or do it another way dependent upon the instructions of the physician”. There
are other references to these three processes in other writings but none are as short and
concise as this one.
7
Throop, Priscilla, Hildegard von Bingen's – Physica (health & healing), Healing Arts Press, 1998, pg.21 & 131
8
Hidegard von Bigen, http://www.hildegardvonbingen.de
9
Mullan, Michael, Dairy Science Food Technology, Probiotic microorganisms in food – Properties, benefits, safety, and
enumeration,, http://www.dairyscience.info/index.php/probiotics.html , 2011
10
Rose Hips, Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health http://www.drugs.com/npc/rose-hips.html
11
Rose Hips. Review of Natural Products. Facts and comparisons, 2005, Available from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
12
Rose Hips – Nutritional Uses, Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health, http://www.drugs.com/npc/rose-hips.html

4. Setting:
The drink here is more in the category of a soothing herbal drink similar to a herbal tea,
and that is the way I am presenting it here. But due to additional properties present in the
whey, rose petals, and honey it would also have been used as a health drink during the
Middle Ages.
13
Hildegard von Bingen, Miniatur aus dem Rupertsberger Codex des Liber Scivias
Period Source:
Translated by:
Helewyse de Birkestad, February 2011, (mka Louise Smithson)
Per fare siero di latte di Capra purificato Cap LXVIII, Sesto Libro, Opera di
Bartolomeo Scappi
Piglisi il latte munto all’hora, & pongasi dentro il quaglio, o presame, &
come è preso pongasi al foco lento lontan dalla fiamma, & come il latte viene a
scaldarsi, si caverà con destrezza il cascio, che in alcuni lochi si dimanda
struccoli, pongasi poi dentro un poco d’aceto o d’agresto, & facciasi bollir
pian piano, fin’a tanto che haverà fatta la ricotta, & passisi per un
setaccio fisso, & ripassisi per la calzetta di bombagina bianca, & se esso siero si
vorrà con le rose, si lascierà stare in infusion per tre hore, & piu o meno second il
bisogno, & come sarà stato il sopradetto termine con le rose, si colerà un
altra volta per lo setaccio, & si sarà intepidire per forza d’acqua calda, &
all’hora si potrà dare a bere, e farne altro secondo che sarà commesso dal Phisico.
To make purified whey of Goat milk. Chapter 68, 6th book, Scappi
Take milk collected within the hour, and put inside of it rennet or thistle
juice (used as a curding agent) and when it is ready put it to a slow fire a long way from
the flame. When the milk starts to warm one takes carefully from it the cheese that in
another place one presses. Put then inside (the whey) a little vinegar or
verjuice and let it boil very slowly until the ricotta is made (reference fig.1 above), and
13
Hildegard von Bingen Miniatur aus dem Rupertsberger Codex des Liber Scivias.

5. pass it through a basket hair sieve, and pass it again through the stocking of cotton
stuff. And if you want the whey with rose one leaves it to infuse for three
hours or more or less dependent upon your needs. And when it has finished with
the roses one strains it another time through the hair sieve. And one can warm it up
with a little hot water and immediately one can give it to drink, or do it
another way dependent upon the instructions of the physician.14
Modern:
Take the Whey that remains after making Ricotta, warm it to 90º~95º using the indirect
heating method, make a bouquet garni (rose pedals placed in a piece of fine cheese cloth
and tied with string) of rose pedals and place in the warmed whey for 2~3 hours. Strain it
again thru a fine piece of linen (or a yogurt strainer also works) to remove any remaining
particles left from the cheese making process. Store in a clean glass jar with a lid until
ready to drink; to drink mix it with a little warm water to bring it to a comfortable and
soothing drinking temperature. One may also add honey to taste if desired.
Supplies:
1 pint Whey (from my cheese making)
Note: this whey is a mixture of goat and cow whey because this is what had on
hand.
¼ cup of dried petals (rosa rugosa) tied into a piece of fine butter cheese cloth to make a
bouquet garni
As much warm water as needed to make a mug of liquid warm (8~10oz)
1 tsp. of honey if desired (or honey to taste)
2 non reactive pots to be used double boiler fashion
1 clean glass jar with a lid that can be placed into a pot of hot water to sterilize it.
1 strainer (to place the linen into for straining / you can also use a large rubber band and
the mouth of the jar making a small well to act as a filter)
1 piece of fine linen (or a yogurt strainer)
Conclusion:
I personally like herbal teas that contained rose hips and knew of their soothing
properties. In addition I already knew about the medicinal uses of whey & honey during
the middle ages. A discussion with Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad and my cheese
making brought about her showing me a recipe from Scappi that made the start of this
journey possible.
Knowledge about the uses of whey being used as a drink for the sick and documenting
the practice are often two very different things. Knowing a thing and proving it with a
period source can often prove a challenge. General principles as to why whey was being
given to the sick seemed to be common knowledge among healers, and herbalist of the
day. Upon further reading it became apparent that this was a common practice
14
Scappi, B., Opera : (dell' arte del cucinare). Reprint. First published: Opera di M. Bartolomeo Scappi. Venice, 1570. 1981, Bologna:
Arnaldo Forni. [20], 436 leaves [ca. 888 p.], [28] p. of plates. Available online from Google books., Translated by Louise Smithson,
(Helewyse de Birkestad) February 2011, http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/scacooksitalian/message/289

6. referenced by such great Physicians as Hippocrates. As well as many sources that talked
about the properties of whey being used for the sick and combining it with other elements
to produce a drink. This has been quite the learning experience.
I hope you enjoy the drink.
Fig. 2 whey