✹ Roy Feldman on 11 Jun 2006 • Link • Flag "the whay-house" I love the idea of an establishment that just serves whey -- not because I'm a big fan of whey (I probably wouldn't know it if I saw it), but because I love off-beat specialty stores. I live in New York City, and it's full of such stores: for example, bakeries that only make cupcakes. What I'm wondering is whether a "whay-house" is the 17th-century equivalent of a specialty store that would only be found in a big city like London, or if it was a common feature in all towns above a certain size. Any ideas?
✹ dirk on 11 Jun 2006 • Link • Flag "whay" Whey was becoming a fashionable drink around this time. Before it had been used mainly as pig food -- so people living in the countryside were familiar with it as a (very refreshing) drink. In the mid 1600s whey-houses became increasingly popular -- obviously this was a city thing, as country folk were already familiar with this drink.
"In the 17th century, a milkmaid would send a stream of new, warm milk directly from a cow into a bowl of spiced cider or ale. A light curd would form on top with a lovely whey underneath. This, according to Elizabeth David, was the original syllabub. Today's syllabub is more solid (its origins can also be traced to the 17th century, albeit to the upper classes) and mixes sherry and/or brandy, sugar, lemon, nutmeg, and double cream into a custard-like dessert or an eggnog-like beverage, depending upon the cook." http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossar…
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San Diego Sarah • Link
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
✹ Roy Feldman on 11 Jun 2006 • Link • Flag
"the whay-house" I love the idea of an establishment that just serves whey -- not because I'm a big fan of whey (I probably wouldn't know it if I saw it), but because I love off-beat specialty stores. I live in New York City, and it's full of such stores: for example, bakeries that only make cupcakes. What I'm wondering is whether a "whay-house" is the 17th-century equivalent of a specialty store that would only be found in a big city like London, or if it was a common feature in all towns above a certain size. Any ideas?
✹ dirk on 11 Jun 2006 • Link • Flag
"whay" Whey was becoming a fashionable drink around this time. Before it had been used mainly as pig food -- so people living in the countryside were familiar with it as a (very refreshing) drink. In the mid 1600s whey-houses became increasingly popular -- obviously this was a city thing, as country folk were already familiar with this drink.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Elsewhere we have heard of Pepys eating Syllabub:
"In the 17th century, a milkmaid would send a stream of new, warm milk directly from a cow into a bowl of spiced cider or ale. A light curd would form on top with a lovely whey underneath. This, according to Elizabeth David, was the original syllabub. Today's syllabub is more solid (its origins can also be traced to the 17th century, albeit to the upper classes) and mixes sherry and/or brandy, sugar, lemon, nutmeg, and double cream into a custard-like dessert or an eggnog-like beverage, depending upon the cook." http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossar…
San Diego Sarah • Link
I should have posted the Syllabub information under whey, not whey houses. Sorry!