flipKarnemelksepap, buttermilk porridge
Karnemelksepap, buttermilk porridge
Why this dish? A Dutch dish for lean times and tired stomachs, buttermilk porridge was made with little: fermented whey, a bit of flour. A gentle, restorative food, the kind you prepare to comfort someone — as Etty, attentive to others, knew how to do in Westerbork.
A warm, slightly tangy porridge made from buttermilk (karnemelk) thickened with a little flour and sweetened with a drizzle of syrup. Creamy, economical, it nourishes and soothes — the very definition of Dutch comfort.
When someone has no heart to eat, I make this buttermilk porridge — it's soft, it's warm, it goes down easily. A little flour to thicken, a trickle of syrup, and you stir, stir constantly so it stays smooth. It has that slight sour taste that wakes up the mouth. I serve it in a bowl, and I sit beside while they eat: feeding someone gently is also a way of being present.
- •Buttermilk (karnemelk) — one bowl per person (fermented base)
- •Flour or buckwheat flour — a spoonful (thickener)
- •Beet syrup (stroop) — a drizzle (sweetness)
- •A pinch of salt — a pinch (balance)
Karnemelksepap, buttermilk porridge
A warm, slightly tangy porridge made from buttermilk (karnemelk) thickened with a little flour and sweetened with a drizzle of syrup. Creamy, economical, it nourishes and soothes — the very definition of Dutch comfort.
Why this dish? A Dutch dish for lean times and tired stomachs, buttermilk porridge was made with little: fermented whey, a bit of flour. A gentle, restorative food, the kind you prepare to comfort someone — as Etty, attentive to others, knew how to do in Westerbork.
When someone has no heart to eat, I make this buttermilk porridge — it's soft, it's warm, it goes down easily. A little flour to thicken, a trickle of syrup, and you stir, stir constantly so it stays smooth. It has that slight sour taste that wakes up the mouth. I serve it in a bowl, and I sit beside while they eat: feeding someone gently is also a way of being present.
Ingredients (period version)
- Buttermilk (karnemelk) — one bowl per person (fermented base)
- Flour or buckwheat flour — a spoonful (thickener)
- Beet syrup (stroop) — a drizzle (sweetness)
- A pinch of salt — a pinch (balance)
Ingredients
- Buttermilk (fermented milk) — 500 ml (fermented base)
- Flour — 2 tbsp (thickener)
- Cane syrup or stroop — 1 to 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Salt — 1 pinch (balance)
- Brown sugar (optional) — for sprinkling (finish)
Method
- Whisk the flour into a little cold buttermilk to form a smooth paste without lumps.
- Pour the remaining buttermilk into a saucepan with the pinch of salt, heat gently without boiling (buttermilk curdles if boiled too hard).
- Stir in the flour mixture, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened (5 to 7 minutes).
- Add the syrup, taste, and adjust sweetness.
- Pour into a bowl, optionally sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Serve warm.
How it was made : Milk or buttermilk porridges (pap) are a staple of Dutch folk food, eaten for breakfast and as invalid food. Buttermilk, a byproduct of butter churning, was cheap and fermented, hence slightly sour; it was thickened with flour or buckwheat and sweetened with beet syrup.
The contemporary twist : Served cold in summer as a tangy "porridge," topped with a few seasonal berries.
Etty Hillesum · Charactorium
