flipFresh buttermilk with brown bread (Karnemelk)
Fresh buttermilk with brown bread (Karnemelk)
Why this dish? Buttermilk, a by-product of butter churning, was the quintessential sober and refreshing drink of the Dutch Republic—exactly the kind of frugal beverage Descartes favoured, he who watched his health regimen hoping to reach a hundred years and fled excess at table.
A glass of tangy, refreshing buttermilk, sometimes thickened with rye bread crumbs, which served as a light supper or mid-day drink.
People are surprised that I drink so little wine. That is because I hold sobriety to be the best ally of a long life; I even flatter myself, through a regulated regimen, to reach the age of one hundred. Thus, following the Dutch example, I often content myself with a bowl of this slightly sour whey, into which I crumble a little brown bread. It quenches, it soothes, and it leaves the mind all its liveliness—what more could one ask for to think well?
- •Buttermilk (churning whey) — a large bowl (base drink)
- •Stale rye bread — a few crumbs (rustic thickener)
- •Honey or brown sugar — to taste (optional) (light sweetener)
Fresh buttermilk with brown bread (Karnemelk)
A glass of tangy, refreshing buttermilk, sometimes thickened with rye bread crumbs, which served as a light supper or mid-day drink.
Why this dish? Buttermilk, a by-product of butter churning, was the quintessential sober and refreshing drink of the Dutch Republic—exactly the kind of frugal beverage Descartes favoured, he who watched his health regimen hoping to reach a hundred years and fled excess at table.
People are surprised that I drink so little wine. That is because I hold sobriety to be the best ally of a long life; I even flatter myself, through a regulated regimen, to reach the age of one hundred. Thus, following the Dutch example, I often content myself with a bowl of this slightly sour whey, into which I crumble a little brown bread. It quenches, it soothes, and it leaves the mind all its liveliness—what more could one ask for to think well?
Ingredients (period version)
- Buttermilk (churning whey) — a large bowl (base drink)
- Stale rye bread — a few crumbs (rustic thickener)
- Honey or brown sugar — to taste (optional) (light sweetener)
Ingredients
- Buttermilk (karnemelk) — 250 ml per person (base drink)
- Stale rye bread — 1 slice, crumbled (optional) ('supper' version)
- Honey — 1 tsp (optional) (sweetener)
- Nutmeg — a light grating (optional) (signature hint)
Method
- Pour well-chilled buttermilk into a bowl or thick glass.
- For a 'supper' version, crumble stale rye bread into it and let sit 5 minutes for the bread to soak.
- Sweeten with a drizzle of honey if the acidity is too sharp; optionally grate a hint of nutmeg on top.
- Drink cold, with a spoon if you added bread.
How it was made : Buttermilk was so central to Dutch popular diet that it had its own painter: it was drunk daily, alone or poured over bread or porridge. Fresh and tangy, it served as a hygienic drink before city water was deemed safe.
The contemporary twist : Served very cold in a small glass with a trickle of honey and a pinch of nutmeg, it becomes a refreshing 'Northern lassi' to offer before the meal.
Sources : Cuisine populaire des Provinces-Unies au XVIIe siècle
René Descartes · Charactorium
