§3Κριθὴ τοίνυν, ὡς μὲν καθόλου λαμβανομένη, ψύχει καὶ ξηραίνει, ἔχει δέ τι καὶ ῥυπτικὸν καὶ φυσῶδες.
Barley, then, if taken generally, cools and dries, and also has a certain cleansing and flatulent quality.
κατὰ μέρος δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐκτὸς αὐτῆς λέπυρον, τὸ πιτυρῶδες, ξηρότερον ὑπάρχει καὶ ῥυπτικώτερον· τὸ δ’ ἐντὸς αὐτῆς, οἷον σαρκῶδες καὶ τρόφιμον, ῥύπτει μὲν καὶ αὐτὸ, ἀλλ’ ἔλαττον τοῦ πιτύρου, ἔχει δὲ καὶ φυσῶδες ἐν ἑαυτῷ.
But in its parts, its outer husk, which is bran-like, is drier and more cleansing; while its inner part, which is fleshy and nourishing, cleanses indeed itself too, but less than the bran, and also has a flatulent quality in itself.
ὁ δ’ ἕτερος ὑμὴν ὁ λεπτὸς, ὁ ἔσωθεν τοῦ πιτύρου κείμενος, περιέχων δὲ τὴν κριθὴν, μεταξὺ τούτων ἐστὶ κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν· διὸ ῥύπτει μὲν τοῦ πιτύρου ἔλαττον, μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς κριθῆς.
And the other thin membrane, lying inside the bran and surrounding the barley, is between these in its power; therefore it cleanses less than the bran, but more than the (inner) barley.
δεῖ δὲ προσυπακούειν τῷ λόγῳ τὰς ἀρίστας κριθὰς καὶ μηδὲν ἐχούσας ἀπὸ σηπεδόνος ἐπίκτητον, ἢ περιττωματικὴν ὑγρότητα, καὶ μήτ’ ἄγαν νέας, μήτε πάντῃ παλαιάς.
But one must understand in this discourse the best barley, having no acquired quality from decay or surplus moisture, and being neither too new nor entirely old.
αἱ μὲν γὰρ νέαι πλήρεις εἰσὶν ὑγρότητος περιττωματικῆς, ἣν ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας ἔλαβον, [καὶ πλήρεις ὑγρότητος,] καὶ πνεύματος ἀνάμεστοι· αἱ δὲ παλαιαὶ τῷ χρόνῳ ἐξίτηλοι καὶ ἀσθενεῖς ἐγένοντο, ἀποβαλλόμεναι τὴν ἑαυτῶν δύναμιν· καὶ σημεῖον ἡ ῥυτίδωσις ἡ ἐν αὐταῖς γενομένη, καὶ τοῦ μεγέθους ἡ μείωσις, καὶ τὸ κοπτομένων αὐτῶν ὥσπερ κόνιν τινὰ ἀποπίπτειν λεπτήν.
For the new are full of surplus moisture, which they took from the soil, [and full of moisture,] and full of wind; while the old have become faint and weak over time, losing their own power; and the sign is the wrinkling that occurs in them, the reduction in size, and the fact that when they are pounded, a certain fine dust falls off.
πλήρεις οὖν εἶναι ἁρμόζει τὰς κριθὰς τὰς εἰς τὴν ποίησιν τῆς πτισάνης ἐκλεγομένας, μήτε νέας μήτε παλαιὰς πάνυ, καὶ πάσης ἀπηλλαγμένας ἐπικτήτου ποιότητος.
It is fitting, therefore, that the barley selected for the making of the gruel be plump, neither new nor very old, and free from all acquired quality.
ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας βάσανον αὐταῖς προσακτέον.
But this alone is not enough; one must also apply to them the test of experience.
εἰ γὰρ πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τῇ ἑψήσει εἰς ὄγκον ἐπαίρονται πλείονα, καὶ ταύτας λαμβάνειν χρὴ εἰς τὴν ἕψησιν, εἰ μέλλοι τις κατὰ λόγον αὐτὴν καὶ ὡς ἐνδέχεται ποιεῖν.
For if, in addition to what has been said, they rise to a greater volume during boiling, one must take these for the boiling, if one is to make it reasonably and as best as possible.
τί μὲν οὖν ἐστι τὸ ἄριστον ὕδωρ, καὶ πῶς διακρίνεται, καὶ τίς ἡ καλλίστη κριθὴ, καὶ ποίοις γνωρίσμασιν αὐτὴν γνωριοῦμεν, εἴρηται μὲν ἡμῖν διὰ κεφαλαίων.
What, then, the best water is, and how it is distinguished, and what the finest barley is, and by what signs we shall recognize it, has been stated by us in summary.
§4Λοιπὸν δὲ τρίτον ἐστὶν εἰπεῖν περὶ τῆς ἑψήσεως.
It remains, thirdly, to speak of the boiling.
σκευάζουσι μὲν γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐν ὅλμῳ διακόψαντες πρότερον εἰς μικρὰ μόρια, ἔπειτα ταχέως ἑψήσαντες ἐπιβάλλουσιν οἱ μὲν ἕψημα, οἱ δὲ ἄμυλον, καί τινες κύμινον καὶ μέλι. ἔστι δ’ ἡ τοιαύτη σκευασία μοχθηρά·
For some prepare it by first chopping it in a mortar into small pieces, then boiling it quickly, and some add boiled wine, others starch, and some cumin and honey.
ἡ δ’ ἀρίστη καὶ καλῶς γινομένη τοιάδε τίς ἐστιν. προδιαβρέχειν αὐτὴν πρότερον ἐν ὕδατι ὠμὴν οὖσαν, ἔπειτα τρίβειν ταῖς χερσὶν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον, ἄχρις ἂν ὁ λεπτὸς ὑμὴν ἀποτιναχθῇ.
But such preparation is bad; and the best and well-made one is of this sort: to soak it beforehand in water while it is raw, then to rub it with the hands until the thin membrane is shaken off.
καὶ διὰ τοῦτ’ αὖθις τρίβεται ἰσχυρῶς μετὰ τῶν χειρῶν, ἕως ἂν ἅπαν τὸ ἀχυρῶδες ἀποτινάξηται, πλὴν εἴ τις αὐτὴν βούλεται ποιῆσαι ῥυπτικωτέραν· τότε γὰρ ἄμεινον μᾶλλον σὺν τῷ ὑμένι αὐτὴν καθέψειν.
And for this reason it is rubbed again strongly with the hands until all the chaff-like part is shaken off, unless one wishes to make it more cleansing; for then it is better to boil it rather with the membrane.
ἡ δὲ ἕψησις αὐτῆς γενέσθω τόνδε τὸν τρόπον, ἵνα πρότερον μὲν ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀναβράσῃ, ὕστερον δ’ ἐπὶ μαλακοῦ πυρὸς ἄχρι πολλοῦ χυλωθῇ.
And let its boiling be done in this manner: that first it should boil up vigorously for a long time, and later on a soft fire for a long time until it is well reduced to juice.