Ironically, although Jews and Moslems are known for not drinking much wine, yet the history of wine dates back to biblical times and before. Our English word alcohol comes from the Arabic.
What is safer to drink, water or wine? It depends where and when you live or lived and travel or travelled.
Water, Tea and Beer
In olden times those who had access to fresh water from wells and springs and fast running rivers and rain were lucky to be able to drink fresh water.
But when I travelled to India, Indians from England warned me not to drink the water. The same used to be said to British travellers to France. The locals could drink their own water because they were immune to local bugs.
When in India I was warned not to drink local water. When drinking bottled water, often the bottles warned you to not accept water in a bottle if the seal was broken, only if the seal was broken in front of you.
What do you drink, if you cannot drink water, and there's no fresh milk and no alcohol? Herbs in boiling water. I remember my mother insisting the tea must be made with boiled water. Only recently did I realise that boiling water not only affected the taste, it also helped hygiene.
Before London water was purified, it was safer to drink beer. Beers varied, but might have a low alcohol content of 4%.
The World Travel Market in London every November has a charity Just a Drop raises money for water.
If you are in the travel trade, go to the World Travel market where you can taste wines and spirits from Europe, Israel and America.
Grapes turn into wine. Dates turn into wine. Grains can be turned into alcohol.
Bans on Alchohol
What about drinking alcohol nowadays in Moslem countries? When I travelled to Malaysia, because I was a woman, even if a man ordered wine in a restaurant, my wineglass was removed.
But wine is produced in the Lebanon. Only made and sold by Christians? No.
(To be continued. I shall come back and give information on pubs and prohibition, Roman water ducts at archaeological sites, Israeli wine, Kosher wine, Mouton de Rothschild labels, wine from Lebanon, Mousard.)
What is safer to drink, water or wine? It depends where and when you live or lived and travel or travelled.
Water, Tea and Beer
In olden times those who had access to fresh water from wells and springs and fast running rivers and rain were lucky to be able to drink fresh water.
But when I travelled to India, Indians from England warned me not to drink the water. The same used to be said to British travellers to France. The locals could drink their own water because they were immune to local bugs.
When in India I was warned not to drink local water. When drinking bottled water, often the bottles warned you to not accept water in a bottle if the seal was broken, only if the seal was broken in front of you.
What do you drink, if you cannot drink water, and there's no fresh milk and no alcohol? Herbs in boiling water. I remember my mother insisting the tea must be made with boiled water. Only recently did I realise that boiling water not only affected the taste, it also helped hygiene.
Before London water was purified, it was safer to drink beer. Beers varied, but might have a low alcohol content of 4%.
The World Travel Market in London every November has a charity Just a Drop raises money for water.
If you are in the travel trade, go to the World Travel market where you can taste wines and spirits from Europe, Israel and America.
Grapes turn into wine. Dates turn into wine. Grains can be turned into alcohol.
Bans on Alchohol
What about drinking alcohol nowadays in Moslem countries? When I travelled to Malaysia, because I was a woman, even if a man ordered wine in a restaurant, my wineglass was removed.
But wine is produced in the Lebanon. Only made and sold by Christians? No.
(To be continued. I shall come back and give information on pubs and prohibition, Roman water ducts at archaeological sites, Israeli wine, Kosher wine, Mouton de Rothschild labels, wine from Lebanon, Mousard.)
No comments:
Post a Comment