Saturday, March 14, 2009

Mmmmoooo

When I was a child, I remember my mother drinking buttermilk. She said it reminded her of the fresh milk she drank as a child, the milk you get straight from a cow. It's tartness made my lips pucker and I never fully appreciated its tangy flavour...that is until traveling in southern Germany. I can't say precisely what triggered this new found appreciation. Perhaps it was the fresh mountain air, seeing the cows grazing on the hillside, the abundance of food that flooded my mind with childhood memories, food that felt like home. Whatever it was, I felt compelled to give buttermilk another chance. I don't know why I didn't appreciate it sooner, I had always loved everything else dairy (even though I try to limit it in my diet these days) and there really isn't much of a jump from yogurt to buttermilk. In fact, it's kind of like drinking Yop, although much more economical. I simply throw some buttermilk in my blender along with some fresh or frozen berries (today the feature fruit was blackberries, gathered fresh last summer and lovingly stored in my freezer). Sometimes I add a little maple syrup if the fruit is especially tart, and voila...instant meal chalk full of nutrients. I guess tastes change, because I love the stuff now. Or perhaps the appreciation was there all along and I just didn't know it. Is this sort of stuff hard wired into us?

27 comments:

thailandchani said...

To a degree, I think it is. Something about cellular memory? :)




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M. Domínguez Senra said...

Along this years I'm enjoying more rice, honey and legumes than ever.

When I was a child I "survive" with rice and fruit (specially for peaches). I prefer salted things than the sweets, but I guess when I become older, I'll love sweets.

Do you know indian "ghee" or ghi butter?

:-)

Carla said...

Chani, I really think you might be right. And although there are many flavours I have come to appreciate, there are certain things that bring me back to the comforts of childhood and then there are those things that I love that I know my ancestors ate for many generations before my time.

Aaoiue, I also loved peaches. We had so many in the summer. In the summer I can survive on fruit and fruit and cream is even better. Yes, I know ghee. I've even made it. Sometimes we call it clarified butter.

Anonymous said...

How wonderful of your childhood memories and given the scenic beauty of your holiday - the need to rekindle 'buttermilk'.

A delightful recipe and certainly one in which I shall try.

I luv the photo - and remember my visits to Southern Germany.

paris parfait said...

As a child, both sets of grandmothers had cows and we drank the milk, but buttermilk was used only in cooking. Allergies prevent me from consuming much dairy, but buttermilk, particularly when making pies and certain desserts, is wonderful. Alas, it's impossible to find here. 5,000 kinds of yoghurt? Easy. But buttermilk is unfamiliar territory.

M. Domínguez Senra said...

Yes, "mantequilla clarificada" is also called in Spain.

Jannie Funster said...

It is funny how we as children are not as open to tastes as we develop and appreciaate later. I wonder if it's somehow biological, to serve some evolutional need? Hmmmn.

The Fool said...

Perhaps it is hard-wired. Many children have very limited diets, but seem to grow out of it in time. Travel, or an "other" often provides an impetus to change. My dad was a buttermilk drinker...but I never acquired the taste as a youth. Perhaps I should give it a second chance.

Carla said...

Peter, I hope you enjoy. And do add a little sugar or maple syrup or some other sweetener if it's not quite sweet enough.

Tara, Buttermilk is fabulous for cooking and allows one to cut out other oils or fats. Truth is I usually do buy it for baking. I'm quite surprised you can't find it in Paris.

Carla said...

Aaouie, So do you use ghee?

Jannie, Something to be pondered.

Carla said...

Fool, If it's not something you're used to, I wouldn't recommend drinking is straight up, but as a smoothie base, it's delicious.

we're doomed said...

I love a nice chilled glass of buttermilk with a moderate dash of salt on the top. Mmmm!

pandave said...

You are really bringing me around to buttermilk. I have some in my fridge now and you are opening up all kinds of avenues for its use.

Carla said...

We're Doomed, I would have never ever thought to add a bit of salt, but I guess why not? I like my butter salted.

Pandave, It is more versatile that I'd have ever thought.

pandave said...

I'm finding that to be the case. Now I just have to find a store that sells organic buttermilk, especially after listening to a show this morning about the antibiotics that are fed to livestock.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, will ensure to add some syrup. Eager to experience.

Pamela said...

I like to cook with buttermilk. But I'll leave the drinking to someone else. My mom really loved it, too.

Steffi said...

I like buttermilk too but only to bake.I think buttermilk is a typical german product.but good.Nice memories ,Carla!

Mark said...

I think are tastes do change for many reasons. Good that you remained open to try it again.

Ed & Jeanne said...

I liked milk fresh too but it gets so hard lifting the cow up over my mouth...

Cheryl said...

Someone I used to babysit for would serve their kids fresh berries bathed in buttermilk. It was delicious, and I'd almost forgotten about it until reading your post. I guess I will have to try it again!

Carla said...

Pandave, No kidding. At least in Canada it's illegal to give cows BGH.

Peter, Let me know what you think.

Carla said...

Pamela, I like cooking with the stuff too...never ever thought I'd say I liked the taste.

Steffi, Lot's of people use butter milk here and it's readily available, but perhaps you're right. It sure is easy to find in Germany and some people tell me it's almost impossible to find in some countries.

Carla said...

Mark, You certainly are right. There are lots of things I appreciate now that I probably wouldn't have eaten as a child.

VE, Ha, ha!!!

Carla said...

Cheryl, It's my new favourite. Kind of like yogurt, but a fresher taste.

dawn said...

I didn't like sauerkraut as a kid. I ate it, because I wanted to develop a taste for it. When I was an adult, I cooked it myself and found I liked it the way I cooked it. My mom learnt to cook it from my Baba (we learnt to make it from scratch from her too), but they cooked it much more well done than I like it. I like it that way too now, but I think I needed to eat it less browned to acquire the flavour for it.

Carla said...

Dawn, My grandfather used to make sauerkraut. When I was a child, he would give me a bowl of the stuff (not cooked) with a big dollop of sour cream. I still like to eat it like that occasionally. It takes the edge off of it. I keep thinking that one of these days I'll make myself a big pot of the stuff. I haven't gotten around to it yet.