Loved by many. This is a combination of delicate soufflé and dark chocolate, a win-win- not too greasy and airy filling and chocolate that melts in your mouth. A great option for tea, coffee or as a compliment. Based on them, even a cake appeared, which immediately fell in love with the sweet tooth.
Do birds give milk?
Children sometimes ask themselves: "Why is Bird's Milk called that?". Do birds give milk at all? And adults know this for sure. The vast majority of birds, like reptiles and other amphibians, are not mammals but oviparous. And those that feed their chicks in a way similar to that of mammals do so with a viscous liquid for milk. completely different. So, we can say that bird's milk does not exist in nature, and even more so it is not in the composition of sweets.
But despite this obvious thing, not all adults know why "Bird's milk" is called that. And most likely they just don’t think about where such a strange and ridiculous name comes from.
Where does this name come from?
The fact is that the Poles borrowed such a name from the legends about the healing milk of birds of paradise, with which they allegedly feed their chicks. The milk of birds is also mentioned in the comedy of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristophanes "Birds". It is described as the highest delicacy, the food of the gods, which gives unheard of strength and health.
In ancient times, it was customary to ask fans to give amazing gifts. The more amazing the gift, the more chances for the heart of a young beauty. And if the girl didn’t like the guy at all, she asked him for bird’s milk, for sure knowing that this is just a legend, and he won’t get it, which means there will be a reason to refuse. Poor young men died in search of this magical milk, but no one found it.
This legend in one interpretation or another is found among many peoples. Since ancient times, there has even been a proverb among Russians: "The rich have everything, especially bird's milk."
Thanks to such a variety of fairy tales and legends, bird's milk has become synonymous with something special and rare. That's why "Bird's milk" is called so. To emphasize the divinity of the delicacy and compare it with the mythical milk of the birds of paradise.
Now, however, a small number of birds have been found that feed their chicks with something like milk. For example, flamingos and penguins. But the creators of sweets clearly didn’t have this in mind, and even at the time of the invention of sweets, and even more so, the birth of this legend, they could not know about this.
What are candies made of?
For the first time, such sweets began to be produced in 1936 in Poland, under the name Ptasie Mleczko, and there they were a resounding success. The famous Soviet factory "Rot Front" decided to repeat this success and in the 1960s began their production in the USSR. At the same time, they decided not to stand on ceremony with the name and translated it literally. That's why "Bird's milk" is called that.
The composition of the sweets is very simple - no super rare ingredients. This is a mixture of egg white, sugar, gelatin and butter, poured with chocolate. The ingredients are clearly not why "Bird's Milk" is called that. But despite the simple composition, it is not so easy to cook them, everything is important - the freshness of the products, the speed of kneading, and the cooling temperature.
Therefore, sweets were made in small batches, which quickly sold out. In Soviet times, shortages were commonplace, and these sweets were especially difficult to get. The Soviet people interpreted why "Bird's milk". They believed that this was due to their scarcity and unusualness at that time.
GOST was strictly observed, and those who ate them then say that the delicacy was much tastier than today. Now, unfortunately, many ingredients are being replaced by cheaper and synthetic ones. Not every factory makes them equally well, and some have changed the recipe so much that the taste is unrecognizable. Sweets "Bird's milk" from "Rot Front" to this day are read as a standard.
How did the cake come about?
Later, in the 1980s, the confectioners of the elite Prague restaurant at that time, headed by Vladimir Guralnik, invented a biscuit cake, which was named the same. It was a cake stuffed with the most delicate soufflé and, like the legendary sweets, covered with chocolate. That's why the cake is called "Bird's Milk". Its uniqueness is also in the fact that no patent was ever issued for any other in the USSR, but this one was issued.
Now it is baked at home, as the recipe is not a secret. But due to the complexity of the technology, only the most skillful and experienced housewives get it.
From the history of the cake "BIRD'S MILK"
"BIRD'S MILK" is the first cake for which a patent was issued during the existence of the USSR.
The authors of the recipe, created in the early 1960s, are a group of confectioners consisting of the head of the confectionery shop of the Moscow restaurant "Prague" Vladimir GURALNIK, Margarita GOLOVOY and Nikolai PANFILOV.
“At first they made 30 pieces a day, then 60, then 600,” recalls Vladimir Guralnik.
This was sorely lacking for Muscovites and guests of the capital: in the 80s, such queues lined up behind the cake that they had to be deployed so that people would not block traffic between Kalinin Avenue (now Novy Arbat) and Arbat. Buyers stood for hours by appointment; the smaller queue consisted of the holders of coupons, which the restaurant sold to the “chosen ones” for 3 rubles. (The Bird's Milk cake itself cost 6 rubles 16 kopecks at that time).
Guralnik laughingly recalls how, at the exit from the Arbatskaya metro station, he was offered to buy a coupon for his own product.
The first experimental industrial batches of "bird's milk" have been produced since 1968 at the Rot-Front factory. But due to the complex technology, the batches were small, prescription documentation by the Ministry Food Industry The USSR was not approved.
The application for the invention was filed in September 1980, and in 1982 the inventors of the recipe were issued copyright certificate No. 925285, where the production method was registered.
“Bird's milk” has a special technology. A layer of dough is placed down, but not biscuit and not shortbread. It tastes like a cake. Then comes a layer of souffle - it is not made on gelatin, but on agar-agar - this is a jelly that is extracted from seaweed. By the way, it is also used for finishing fabrics. It took the authors more than six months to find this most cunning ingredient of "Bird's Milk". But it is this “exotic” additive (in those Soviet times in the USSR, much was exotic and scarce) that makes the cake so tender and melts in your mouth. Agar-agar does not curdle at 117 degrees, which is ideal for making tender "Bird's Milk". From above, this whole work is doused with chocolate and decorated with cream.
The “Bird's Milk” cakes produced in different places have different designs:
With their joint development, Vladimir GURALNIK, Margarita GOLOVA and Nikolai PANFILOV entered the history of confectionery art: having looked at the new “Ptichye Moloko” sweets from the Krasny Oktyabr factory, they created the “Ptichye Moloko” cake, slightly different in taste.
In the famous filling, instead of traditional gelatin, agar-agar, extracted from special algae, was used.
In 2006, Vladimir Guralnik became a nominee for the Public Recognition 2006 award and received an award in the Legend Man nomination.
In addition to the creation of the legendary “bird”, over 50 years of work, he developed and introduced into production 35 branded confectionery.
Many of them are now produced in all confectionery shops in Moscow.
Today, he shares his knowledge and rich work experience with young people. They have already trained 85 confectioners.
His "Prague" cake, inspired by the famous Viennese cake "Saher" ("Sacher"), was adopted in mass production and included in the "Collection of recipes for confectionery products for public catering".
About bird milk
Bird's milk is mentioned in myths and legends of many peoples of the world.
There was a popular belief that they fed their chicks with bird milk birds of paradise. If a person tried it, then at once he became invulnerable to any weapon and any disease.
But birds are not mammals. They do not feed their chicks with milk. Therefore, the expression "bird's milk" began to mean something unprecedented, something that does not exist in reality, the impossible, the limit of desires.
Long ago, when women were fed up with their lovers, they demanded that they bring them bird's milk. Unfortunate lovers rushed into the desert and died there from thirst and loneliness, believing in illusions and mistaking fantasy for reality.
However, ornithologists have proven that bird "milk" does exist, but it does not look like cow's milk, but resembles liquid cottage cheese. Birds from their beaks feed their chicks with “milk” regurgitated from the stomach for a very short time - no more than a month. So bird “milk” (which is not milk at all) is a rarity in the feathered world.
It is no coincidence that this name, which characterizes abundance and well-being, was chosen for the most delicious, delicate and exquisite sweets and cakes with soufflé filling.
As a child, gobbling up on both cheeks a candy called bird's milk I really thought that birds give, the father said doves, and the mother laughed and said - do not confuse the child. Growing up, I realized that these are fairy tales, and yet my father was right, bird's milk is pigeon's milk.
What is pigeon milk
Where does bird's milk come from?
The birds that feed their chicks are pigeons. True, they feed their newly hatched chicks with a special curd mass, which produced in their goiter. It " children food” and is called bird or pigeon milk. Pigeon milk is so nutritious that in the first two days of life, the baby becomes twice as heavy!
To grown up chicks of a dove bird or pigeon milk after a week, it becomes theoretically unnecessary, they feed on plant seeds, although very often you can see how parents feed pigeon milk even on the wing.
Wild pigeons living in Russia.
In forests North Caucasus a secretive and cautious wood dove, or vitiuten, nests. Turtle doves live in gardens and parks throughout Russia, as well as rock pigeons - the most numerous city dwellers among relatives with whom we are all well acquainted.
11.02.2017 11:35
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Is there bird's milk and why candy was called that.
Perhaps you have ever heard adults say about someone "he just doesn't have bird's milk." This means that a person has even more than he can wish for.
Sweets with an unusual name "Bird's milk" are loved by more than one generation of sweet teeth. But how many people know where such an original name for these sweets came from and does bird's milk actually exist in nature?
Birds are not mammals and do not feed their chicks with milk. Therefore, the expression "bird's milk" began to mean something unprecedented, which in reality does not exist and cannot be, the impossible, the limit of desires.
However, oddly enough, ornithologists have proven that bird's milk still exists, although not in all bird species. For example, pigeons, goldfinches, crossbills, emperor penguins, flamingos have it.
True, the milk of birds is not at all like the cow or goat that is familiar to us, but rather resembles liquid cottage cheese, but its purpose is the same as that of the usual one. These birds feed their chicks for a very short time - no more than a month. So in the feathered world, bird's milk is a rarity.
Pigeons, for example, feed their chicks with a special gruel secreted from the goiter, which is sometimes called pigeon milk. This so-called milk is formed from a whitish liquid secreted from the goiter of the pigeon, which is mixed with a thick porridge that the pigeon burps from the stomach into the goiter.
Emperor penguins also feed their chicks with a mushy substance that they produce in the walls of the esophagus and stomach. These penguins hatch chicks in the midst of the Antarctic winter, when the air temperature reaches -80 degrees. The birds keep their only egg on their paws, covering it from above with a fold of skin on the belly.
Well, is there really bird's milk, we found out. Now let's answer the question why the well-known sweets are so named, which are a delicate, sweet soufflé covered with chocolate.
The inventors of this delicacy are Polish confectioners, who first produced a batch of unusually tasty and sweet soufflé in chocolate in 1936. Most likely, they chose such a name for their sweet creation to show its peculiarity and, of course, to attract the attention of those with a sweet tooth.
In Russia (or rather, then in the Soviet Union), the Bird's Milk soufflé appeared in the 60s of the last century and became so popular that 10 years later, Soviet confectioners came up with a recipe for a cake with the same name, based on the famous soufflé.
We continue to acquaint you with the history of famous dishes, and our next "hero" is the Bird's Milk cake. Where did everyone's favorite in Soviet time goodies such an unusual name? Why did you stand in line for a day for a dessert, and even now not every housewife manages to repeat the original recipe? You will learn all this and much more from our material.
A cake made of delicate dough with an airy biscuit layer was released in 1978 and became a real legend of the Prague restaurant. The prototype of "Bird's milk" was the Czechoslovak sweets "Ptase mlechko", which the Minister of the Food Industry of the USSR once tasted during a business trip. "Make something similar, but according to the original recipe," the minister commanded, after which numerous experiments began to find the ideal composition of the new domestic delicacy. Following the sweets, first prepared in the 60s, it was decided to "conjure" also over the cake. The merit of its creation belongs to the confectioner Vladimir Guralnik. The name of this man has entered the history of culinary arts forever, and it would seem that with such a rich past, he could now work in any of the most expensive confectioneries in Moscow. However, Guralnik remains loyal to Prague to this day - in confectionery shop he works for the benefit of preserving long-term traditions and creating new culinary masterpieces.
Together with the team, we worked on the recipe for "Bird's Milk" for more than 6 months. I wanted the bottom to be from an unusual dough: not biscuit, not sand, not puff. That's how it was created the new kind test - whipped semi-finished product, it is somewhat similar to a cupcake. The filling had to be boiled for a long time: agar-agar has a melting point of about 120 degrees, unlike gelatin, which already coagulates at 100 degrees. The secret of our recipe is in agar-agar - a more expensive and rich substitute for gelatin. We experimented for a long time: some ingredients were added, others were removed, brought to different temperatures - either a syrup is obtained, or a viscous mass. Until they found the right consistency, just 6 months passed,
Once Guralnik told the edition "Evening Moscow". In the Soviet years, the "Bird's Milk" cake was a real "king of tables". For the original cake, sold only in the restaurant "Prague", people stood in line for several hours - a string of people wishing to treat themselves could fill half of the Old Arbat. What is real success, Guralnikov found out when he was furtively offered coupons for his own creation at the subway.
The secret of such success lay not only in the taste of the dessert, but also in its name - in its, so to speak, sacred sense. According to ancient mythology, bird's milk is an unseen miracle. Something that does not really exist, something that the birds of paradise fed their children with. "A man who has everything can only dream of bird's milk" - this expression gained popularity again in 18th century Europe. And who did not want to have something fantastic and impossible during the years of shortage in the USSR!
According to one of the legends, once the girls, in order to get rid of annoying gentlemen, sent them to wander around the cities and villages in search of "bird's milk". Back those, of course, did not return.
Now to leave for "Bird's milk" and not return is an incredible story. The delicacy is presented in almost all confectioneries of the country. True, the original cake according to the recipe of Vladimir Guralnik is exclusively sold only in 10 stores in Moscow. As he himself says, cakes are delivered there in special branded vans and the taste of this treat cannot be confused with anything.
Guralnik does not hide the secret of making the "Bird's Milk" cake:
We pour whipped protein with agar-agar, then add butter and condensed milk, mix and cool to 80 degrees. Then pour this mass into a mold and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Then it is worth laying the layers correctly, because "Bird's milk" is a cake constructor. A layer of dough alternates with a layer of agar-agar, and so on again. The dessert is topped with chocolate.
Chocolate, by the way, also has its own secret, - says the author. - It must have a certain melting point of 38 degrees, otherwise it will "turn gray" in the refrigerator. And chocolate, in order for it to be tasty, must be kneaded properly. We have a special machine that constantly stirs chocolate.
However, now every confectionery has its own recipe for "Bird's Milk", somewhat different from the original. HELLO.RU decided to find out how "Bird's milk" is prepared in the Odessa cuisine restaurant "Babel". You can definitely repeat this recipe at home!
"Bird's milk" from the restaurant "Babel"Ingredients:
wheat flour 200 gr.
egg yolk 7 gr.
butter 275 gr
soda 1 tsp
sugar 350 gr.
condensed milk
lemon acid
chocolate 150 gr
cream 38 percent
egg white 7 pcs.
Cooking:
1. Beat room temperature butter with sugar, add yolks, soda and flour, beat everything with a mixer.
2. Bake the mass at a temperature of 170 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
3. For the cream, soak the gelatin in half a glass of cold water. Add citric acid and sugar to the water with swollen gelatin. Then beat the proteins until a stable foam.
4. Separately, beat the butter with condensed milk and gradually add to the mass with whipped proteins and gelatin solution. Don't stop whipping.
5. For the glaze, melt the chocolate and add a little butter. Melt everything over low heat and bring to a homogeneous mass.
6. Lay out the dessert in layers and pour over the chocolate.
Enjoy your meal!