How to Make Barley Tisane (Barley Soup)

Ingredients

• barley (tisana)
• olive oil
• dill
• dried onion
• savory
• colocasia (taro)
• green coriander
• salt
• pepper
• lovage
• dried pennyroyal
• cumin
• roasted silphium (silfi/laser)
• honey
• vinegar
• defrutum (reduced grape must)
• liquamen (Roman fermented fish sauce)

Instructions

1. Wash and rub barley soaked the day before, and set it over the fire.
2. When it bubbles, add plenty of oil, a bundle of dill, dried onion, savory and colocasia, letting them cook for the sake of the juice.
3. Add green coriander and salt ground together, and boil.
4. When well boiled, remove the herb bundle and transfer the barley to another pot so it does not scorch on the bottom; strain well over the colocasia tip.
5. Grind pepper, lovage, a little dried pennyroyal, cumin and roasted silphium; moisten with honey, vinegar, defrutum and liquamen.
6. Pour back into the pot over the colocasia and bring to the boil over a slow fire.