Per Fare Altr’ Acqua di Fravole

From Antonio Latini, Lo scalco alla moderna (vol. 1, Naples, 1692): Take really ripe Strawberries picked a day or so ago; put the Strawberries in water, then crush them after washing your hands well; or use a Spoon for this, as you wish, and when the Water has turned a good color, add to it a little pomegranate juice; color it with Cheese, or with Cream, leave it for a little while, to develop the flavor of Strawberries; add enough Sugar to it, chill it, and serve it as you like.

Sorbets first came to Europe from Turkey. In his Travels to the Middle East, published in 1555, the French naturalist Pierre Belon remarked, “the ambassadors of France, Spain, Venice, Ragusa, Florence, Transylvania, and Hungary, who are more particular about their drinking than the Turks, do not wish to mix snow in their wine, so they immerse the wine in water chilled by snow, and in this way they enjoy cold drinks all summer without putting snow or ice in their stomachs” (as quoted by Elizabeth David in Harvest of the Cold Months).