Forgotten dishes of the USSR: where did eggnog come from

Eggnog is a dessert made from pounded egg yolks with sugar and alcohol. A dish with a name that sounds more like a child's joke was known to everyone in the Soviet era. This dessert was considered very healthy.

Today, the FoodOboz editorial team will tell you about the history and myths of the USSR eggnog dessert.

⠀In the Soviet Union, many people ate eggnog without alcohol for breakfast: cheap, hearty, tasty, and believed to be healthy. It was a kind of fried eggs, but without the fuss with the stove and frying pan, and even sweet. Eggs were quite an affordable product at the time. However, this dessert was not invented in the USSR.⠀

According to one version, "eggnog" is derived from the German word kuddelmuddel, which means "mess". There is a legend that a German confectioner invented the drink. The modern kuddelmuddel is not an egg drink but a bread, ham, and cheese dish.

The English hugger-mugger also means "mess", and eggnog, now called eggnog, is a traditional Christmas treat in the UK. This alcoholic drink is a whipped mixture of eggs, milk, and sugar with the addition of rum.

⠀Eggnog of Jewish origin

The code of laws Shulchan Aruch, published in the 16th century, recommends the use of beaten raw eggs and sweet syrup to improve the voice for prayer and singing. Hence the fable about the singer Gauguin, who lost his voice. In order not to be out of work, he came up with a unique recipe that saved the man: crumble bread into a raw egg, add salt, and mix everything well.

Recipe for eggnog dessert with cinnamon

Ingredients

Eggs – 1 pc

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Milk – 250 ml

Cinnamon – to taste

Method of preparation

1. Carefully crack the egg and separate the white from the yolk in a separate bowl.
2. Transfer the yolk to the bowl of a mixer or blender.
3. Add a tablespoon of sugar; if you like honey, you can replace sugar with it.
4. Then beat the yolk until white foam appears.
5. Take a saucepan, put it on the stove, and turn on the heat. Pour the milk into the pot and bring it to a boil. When the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and pour the milk over the egg yolk.
6. Start whisking again until the mass increases in volume.
7. Then pour the finished eggnog into a glass and sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy a warm and healthy drink.

Today, eggnog is served in many restaurants around the world.