Month: January 2019

The savory treat from Brittany

For the health-conscious, salt and butter are very high on the list of dietary no-no’s, although in recent years butter’s reputation has slightly improved (while margarine has become less well-thought of). And as Mark Kurlansky detailed in his fascinating book Salt: A World History, salt has played an important role in human society and is even necessary (in a certain amount) to the healthy functioning of our bodies.

But just because we crave something doesn’t mean it’s healthy to have it in copious quantities, no matter how tempting it seems. Years ago, I ran across a blog post by professional chef and author David Lebovitz that made me aware of the tastiest combination of this “evil” duo: creamy butter laced and studded with large crystals of salt. This tempting concoction was beurre salé (literally, “salted butter”), a regional specialty from the Brittany region of France, and the sight of it made me want to eat copious quantities of it, health concerns notwithstanding.

Worth Its Salt

So what makes this salted butter different from the kind you can buy at the local supermarket? For one thing, it’s made with Brittany sea salt, some of the finest produced anywhere. Brittany is located in the northwest corner of France (south of Normandy) and its lengthy ocean coastline is a perfect place for cultivating salt. Its most famous type of salt, fleur de sel, comes from the town of Guérande (which was historically part of Brittany, but is now part of the Pays de Loire region), and is world-renowned for its texture and flavor.

Having such ready access to salt, Breton cuisine developed to take advantage of this situation. Whereas in most other regions of France there are dozens, if not hundreds, of types of cheese specific to that region, there is not even a word for cheese in the Breton language. There are a few cheeses to be found in the region, but less-processed dairy products (butter and cream) are much more prevalent in the Breton cuisine. The reason is that before the advent of refrigeration, making milk into cheese was more effective against spoilage than making butter—that is, unless you had plenty of salt.

Sel Preservation

Salt has historically been used as a preservative; that is a large part of why it has been so coveted throughout human history. In the case of butter, this was especially so, since butter has a tendency to quickly go rancid when it is exposed to air. Refrigeration has taken care of this problem for modern butter-eaters (and the invention of a water-sealed butter dish helped too), but it was a serious problem for our ancestors. According to Margaret Visser’s delightful book Much Depends on Dinner (which includes individual chapters on butter and salt), butter that has been oxidized (exposed to the air) can cause “diarrhoea, poor growth, loss of hair, skin lesions, anorexia, emaciation and intestinal haemorrhages.”

Mixing butter with salt, or storing it in brine, was a way to prevent butter from going rancid, and was commonly done before the days of refrigeration. Indeed, a record from 1305 CE noted that one pound of salt was added to every ten pounds of butter or cheese. To remove some of the salt, people had to rinse the butter by kneading water into it, and then squeezing it out again along with some of the salt.

Butter Batters

No longer a necessity, beurre salé is today a gourmet treat; it is used in many traditional Breton dishes, and is coveted for its delicious effect on everything from fine chocolates to buttery cakes. It may seem counterintuitive, but salt can be as important as sugar in many dessert recipes, and lends an interesting counterpoint to the sweetness.

Traditional Breton desserts made using beurre salé include: gâteaux Breton, a type of poundcake made with flour, butter, sugar, and eggs; palets Bretons, small buttery cakes; and caramel au beurre salé, which can refer to individual candies (salted caramels) or the process of caramelizing sugar and salted butter while baking a dessert, such as Kouign Amann. Amann is the Breton word for butter, and this cake is made with plenty of it, along with yeast, sugar, flour, and water.

Salty Language

Since the time I wrote the first version of this article in 2006, salted caramel (inspired by caramel au beurre salé) has become much more popular in North America; it seems everywhere you look these days the salted caramel flavor is popping up, from popcorn and hot chocolate, to cookies and coffee drinks. And since this article was first written, I have personally tried beurre salé in its birthplace, on several trips to Brittany, and have loved every bite, whether slathered on a baguette or baked in a Kouign Amann. And while living in Paris in the late 2000s, I also had the pleasure of meeting and befriending David Lebovitz and Margaret Visser, both originally cited in this article. It was an unexpected delight, much like finding crystals of briny sea salt in the midst of delicious and creamy butter.

Note: This is an updated version of an article that originally appeared on Interesting Thing of the Day on July 31, 2006.

Image credit: Photozou.jp [CC BY]

It’s one thing to like libraries, or even to say you like libraries. Today’s observation demands proof: pix or it didn’t happen. Starting in 2014, the New York Public Library declared the fourth Wednesday in January to be Library Shelfie Day. So let’s break this down: a shelfie is like a selfie, except it’s in front of a shelf. A library shelfie is a shelfie taken in a library. So grab your smartphone and head on over to the nearest library today to participate. While you’re at it, pick up a few good books!

Image credit: Pixabay

Italy’s mystery liqueur

While some companies are completely transparent about the ingredients in their products, hoping to snag customers looking for the healthiest option, in some cases the secret of a product’s makeup is not only closely guarded, but promoted as a key part of its allure. Mysteries can be a great advertising gimmick.

The proprietors of Antoine’s restaurant in New Orleans were clearly operating from this idea when they created their famous recipe for Oysters Rockefeller; although it has been widely speculated upon, this recipe has remained a secret since it was first developed in 1899. Having sampled Oysters Rockefeller at Antoine’s, I would say that I greatly enjoyed their taste, but I got more enjoyment out of trying to guess the elements of the recipe.

This same type of marketing is at work in the promotion of Dr Pepper soda. The only information given by the manufacturer is that it contains 23 flavors; it’s up to customers to draw their own conclusions about what those flavors are. Ditto for Coca Cola’s secret recipe and the “11 herbs and spices” in Kentucky Fried Chicken. In a similar vein, the makers of one of Italy’s best-known liqueurs, Fernet-Branca, prefer to keep the composition of their product top secret, but rumors about what it may contain are certainly tantalizing.

Saffron So Good

Fernet-Branca is a type of bitters, a spirit made from different herbs, plants, and roots that supposedly aids digestion and stimulates the appetite. Other types of bitters include Campari, Angostura bitters, and orange bitters. While the complete list of 40 herbs and spices that go into Fernet-Branca has never been made public, some of its ingredients are common knowledge, and include myrrh, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and saffron, as well as its base component of grape alcohol.

Saffron in particular seems to be an important ingredient; this rare spice, harvested from the saffron crocus flower, is the world’s most expensive spice by weight. According to an article about Fernet-Branca that appeared in a San Francisco newspaper, the company that produces Fernet-Branca, Fratelli Branca, is the largest consumer of saffron in the world, claiming 75% of worldwide output.

As far as the other ingredients are concerned, there is wide speculation about what these may be. A few of the rumored mystery elements include: rhubarb, cinchona bark from South America (known for its anti-malarial properties), gentian root (a powerful medicinal herb), wormwood (used in absinthe), bay leaves, sage, peppermint oil, and the ginger-like spices galanga and zedoary.

Medicinal Compound

With all these medicinal ingredients, it is not surprising that Fernet-Branca was first developed as a health elixir. The creator of the formula, Bernardino Branca, was a self-taught apothecary in Milan, who first offered Fernet-Branca to the public in 1845. Marketing his product as a tonic to cure many kinds of illness, Branca even persuaded the director of a local hospital of its curative benefits.

Even today, Fernet-Branca is known for its ability to calm upset stomachs and soothe hangover misery. If earlier marketing pitches for the spirit are to be believed, it can also cure cholera and ease menstrual cramp pain. The health-enhancing nature of Fernet-Branca proved handy during Prohibition in the United States. Since it was considered a medicinal product, pharmacies could import and sell Fernet-Branca without interference from the government.

Where Everybody Knows Its Name

Although Fernet-Branca is made by an Italian company, Italy is not the largest consumer of this liqueur. In fact, there are two other places in the world known for their prodigious consumption of the bitter quaff. These two places are San Francisco, California, and the country of Argentina.

San Francisco is the biggest consumer of Fernet-Branca in the United States, and has the highest per capita consumption of it in the world. Its popularity in the city may be partially attributed to San Francisco’s large Italian-American community, centered around the commercial district of North Beach. Whatever the reason, San Franciscans drink Fernet-Branca in large quantities, usually followed by a chaser of ginger ale.

Argentina also has a large Italian population and a similar thirst for Fernet-Branca. There is even a popular song that celebrates the joys of “Fernet Con Coca,” or Fernet mixed with cola, the usual way it is prepared in Argentina. In fact, the only other distillery of Fernet-Branca located outside Milan is in Argentina.

Above and beyond its regional popularity, Fernet-Branca has made a mark on pop culture as well. When mention of Fernet-Branca comes up, fans of Christopher Nolan’s film The Dark Knight Rises will no doubt be put in mind of Alfred’s memorable references to the drink in the film. On the literary side, James Hamilton-Paterson’s novel Cooking with Fernet Branca, a humorous look at life in Tuscany, was long- listed for the prestigious Booker Prize.

A Matter of Taste

After living in San Francisco for quite some time and feeling ashamed that I had never enjoyed this quintessential San Francisco experience, years ago I tried my first shot of Fernet-Branca. Unsure of what to expect, and slightly put off by the strong pine scent I registered, I closed my eyes and gulped it down.

The intense menthol-like sensation caused me to cough, and I didn’t enjoy the bitter aftertaste the drink created, but soon after finishing it, I began to feel a bit better. I can’t say whether or not I gained any health benefits from drinking the Fernet-Branca, but the next time I experience an upset stomach I will have to try another shot of it, for purely medicinal purposes of course.

Note: This is an updated version of an article that originally appeared on Interesting Thing of the Day on October 16, 2006.

Image credit: Jesús Dehesa [CC BY-ND 2.0], via Flickr

Whether you opt for the quite mild Tabasco sauce, the “hey-I’m-a-trendy-hipster” Sriracha, or something considerably higher on the Scoville scale, today—National Hot Sauce Day—is the day to add a liquid capsaicin solution to your favorite foods. Pro tip: plain white rice and white milk are much, much better for soothing that “Holy frak my hair is on fire!” feeling than water. (In sufficient quantities, tequila is also reputed to work, although the side effects might not be to your liking.)

Image credit: Kaldari [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons