Andrew F. Smith

Distillation

Appears in
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America

By Andrew F. Smith

Published 2004

  • About

Distillation is the process of controlled heating of a mixture to separate the more volatile from the less volatile parts, then cooling and condensing the vapor to make a purer substance. The word “distill” comes from the Latin destillare, meaning “to drip.”

There are hints about oils and “essences” in books of the Ayurvedas from India ca. 3000 BCE, and distilled rice or barley liquor was consumed there as early as 800 BCE. Egyptians distilled oils for perfumes and medicines as early as 2500 BCE. Chinese alchemists used distillation in approximately the sixth century BCE. These peoples used distillation primarily for alchemy and transmutation of various substances. Arabs developed the technology that shaped European distillation until the Middle Ages. The basic piece of equipment for distillation was the alembic.