Early recipes skewed toward desserts and decadent dishes. Sweet and savory bread puddings were particularly popular: One recipe called for sweetened almonds, rose water, bread, cream, egg, sugar, nutmeg, bone marrow, and “muske and amber grease.” As the trend of ambergris-enhanced recipes continued into the 18th century, medicinal drinks, gelatins, and posset (an ale-spiked hot custard drink) all featured the substance.
— Gastro Obscura takes a look at ambergris as a luxury food ingredient. Read more at Ambergris: Whale excrement once flavored ice cream. Hat tip to Shelly!
cool, thanks
Thank you!
I thought real ambergris was from the lining of the stomach of whales, not “excrement”
Or did I misread Melville
Long explanation here:
https://theconversation.com/ambergris-how-to-tell-if-youve-struck-gold-with-whale-vomit-or-stumbled-upon-sewage-57834
Thanks for the info.
Ah, science…Glorious!
If I remember correctly, the podcast Gastropod did an episode that involved ambergris ice cream. I don’t remember which one it was, so I am looking on Spotify.. I think it might have been “The Scoop on Ice Cream” from 2015.
Thanks, will look for it!
Any dessert would be improved by adding bone marrow!