History of posset milk drink
Posset began as an English hot drink or dessert of milk curdled with wine, ale or sack, sweetened and spiced, and used as a home remedy for colds and fevers. Over the centuries it became richer, thickened with bread, egg yolks or almonds, and eventually became the lemon cream dessert known today. Exact origins are not fully documented.
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What is the history of the posset milk drink?
Posset is an old English drink. Early possets were drinks made from curdled milk, sweetened and mixed with alcohol, often sack, a sweet fortified wine. Cheaper versions used ale. Exactly when it began is unclear, and we found no primary source we could open, so the details below come from one historical article.
Was posset a medicine?
Often it was used as one. People gave it for colds and fevers. A 1620 record in the Journals of the House of Lords says King Charles I was given one by his physician. Richard Cox’s 1835 book Oxford Night Caps describes a black pepper posset meant to make a patient sweat out a fever. There is no evidence today that posset treats illness, and it should not be used as medicine.
What was in historical possets?
- Milk or cream, curdled with ale, wine or sack
- Sugar, with sweetening and spice
- By the mid 1700s, thickeners such as biscuits, bread, egg yolks or almonds
How did posset change?
| Period | What posset was |
|---|---|
| Early | Hot curdled milk with ale or wine, sometimes a remedy |
| 1700s | Richer, thickened with bread, eggs or almonds; 18th-century cookbooks include several versions |
| 1800s | Richard Cox’s 1835 book describes curd-based and cream-and-yolk versions |
| Today | A lemon dessert of cream, sugar and lemon juice |
What were posset cups?
Potters made special posset cups with a spout, so a diner could sip the liquid from below and spoon the cream from the top. Sack possets were also drunk to toast newlyweds, and possets were sometimes given to the poor as charity.
How is posset made today?
The modern version uses cream, sugar and lemon juice. The cream is heated with sugar, then lemon juice thickens it as it cools. It differs from panna cotta, which uses gelatin, from syllabub, which is cream curdled with wine or cider, and from custard, which has eggs.
This is a short overview. Details and dates come from a secondary source and may be disputed.
People also ask
What is a posset drink?
A hot English drink of milk curdled with ale, wine or sack, sweetened and spiced.
Was posset used as a medicine?
It was used as a home remedy for colds and fevers, but there is no evidence it treats illness.
What is posset today?
A simple dessert of cream, sugar and lemon juice that sets as it cools.
Sources
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