Eggnog's Checkered Past
Providing an exact location and time for the drink's origin has prompted many theories, which have been widely debated on the Internet. Our "innocent looking" holiday drink has left a few ruffled feathers behind on more than one occasion.
Citing historical manuscripts and medieval cookbooks, food historians have come up with three intertwined theories regarding its origin. The first theory, and probably the most popular with Americans, claims that the drink, if made with eggs, milk, sugar and rum, could be an American creation dating back to our Colonial ancestors according to Robert Sietsema, author of Nothing But Nog.
"It's tempting to assume eggnog is British, partly on the basis of the Anglo-Saxon derivation of the name, and partly because of English punches it resembles. But what if eggnog is really an American invention? That would explain why, unlike the English prototypes, no modern American version features ale or beer. Also, the presence of rum in our most common recipes is a reminder that rum -- a byproduct of the trade in sugar cane and slaves in the New World -- was the most abundant alcohol in the Colonies. Finally, an additional piece of evidence for an American origin involves Alexis Soyer, the French expatriate chef and enterprising humanitarian who invented the soup kitchen to address the Irish famine and the camp stove to cook for wounded Crimean War soldiers. It seems one of Soyer's more harebrained schemes, described by Sarah Freeman in her book "Mutton & Oysters," was to open an American-style bar in London serving American cocktails. One of the cocktails prominently mentioned? Eggnog, of course." 1
You may also like...
- The Best Darn Eggnog You Ever Had
- The Origin of Eggnog
- New Year's Snacks: Cheese Balls, Warm Eggnog and Cracker Spreads
- Bourbon & Eggnog, the Natural Holiday Combination!
- Coffee-Mate Limited Edition Creamer: Eggnog
- A New Cookie for Christmas - White Chocolate Eggnog Bars
- Product Review: Silk Soymilk "Nog"
- Holiday Events in Charleston, South Carolina
- Starbucks Drinks for the Holidays: Your Best Choices
- Easy to Make Festive Christmas Cocktails
Comments
Type in Your Comments Below - (1000 characters left)
Most Commented On


