Do you know why Bird's milk is called that?

Candy "Bird's milk" is loved by many. This is a combination of gentle soufflé and dark chocolate, a win-win option - not too greasy and airy filling and chocolate that melts in your mouth. A great option for tea, coffee or as a compliment. On their basis, even a cake appeared, which immediately fell in love with the sweet tooth.

Do birds give milk?

Children sometimes wonder, "Why is Bird Milk so called?" And do birds give milk at all ? And adults know this for sure. The vast majority of birds, like reptiles and other amphibians, are not mammals, but egg-laying . And those that feed the chicks in a manner similar to that existing in mammals make it a viscous liquid that does not look like milk at all . So , we can say that there is no bird's milk in nature, and even more so it does not exist in sweets.

But despite this obvious thing, not all adults know why Bird's milk is called that. And most likely they just do not think where such a strange and ridiculous name comes from.

Where does this name come from?

The fact is that the Poles borrowed such a name from the legends about the healing milk of birds of paradise, with which they allegedly feed the chicks. Bird milk is also mentioned in the comedy of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristophanes “Birds”. It is described as the supreme delicacy, the food of the gods, which gives unheard of strength and health.

In ancient times , it was customary to ask fans to give amazing gifts. The more amazing the gift, the more chances there are for the heart of a young beauty. And if the girl didn’t like the guy at all, she asked him for bird's milk, probably knowing that this was just a legend, and he won’t get it , which means that there will be a reason to refuse. Poor youths died in search of this magic milk, but no one found it .

This legend in one interpretation or another is found among many peoples. From ancient times, Russians even have a proverb: "The rich have everything, to shout bird's milk."

Thanks to such a variety of fairy tales and legends, bird's milk has become synonymous with something special and rare. That is why "Bird's milk" is so called. To emphasize the divinity of goodies and compare it with the mythical milk of birds of paradise.

Now, however , a small number of birds have been found that feed the chicks with something like milk. For example, flamingos and penguins. But the creators of sweets clearly didn’t mean it , and even at the time of the invention of sweets and, especially, the birth of this legend, they could not know about this.

What are sweets made of?

The first such sweets began to be produced in 1936 in Poland, under the name Ptasie Mleczko, and there they were a resounding success. The famous Soviet factory “Rot Front” decided to repeat this success and in the 1960s began their release in the USSR. With the name, they decided not to stand on ceremony and translated literally. That is why "Bird's milk" is what it is called.

The composition of the sweets is very simple - no super rare ingredients. This is a mixture of egg white, sugar, gelatin and butter, poured with chocolate. Ingredients - This is clearly not why Bird Milk is so called. But despite the simple composition, preparing them is not so simple , everything is important - both the freshness of the products, and the speed of mixing, and the cooling temperature.

Therefore, sweets were made in small batches, which were quickly sold out. In Soviet times, shortages were commonplace, and it was especially difficult to get these sweets. Soviet people interpreted why sweets are called "Bird's milk". They believed that this was due to their scarcity and unusualness at that time.

GOST in the Soviet Union was strictly observed, and those who ate them then said that the delicacy was much tastier than today. Now, unfortunately, many ingredients are being replaced with cheaper and synthetic ones. Not every factory makes them equally well, and some have changed the recipe so much that they can’t recognize the taste. Candies "Bird's milk" from the "Rot Front" to this day are read the standard.

How did the cake appear?

Later, in the 1980s , the confectioners of the Prague restaurant, which was elite at that time, headed by Vladimir Guralnik, invented a biscuit cake, which was also called. It was a cake stuffed with the most delicate soufflé and, like legendary sweets, watered with chocolate. That is why the cake is called "Bird's milk." Its uniqueness also lies in the fact that no one has ever been granted a patent in the USSR, but this one has been issued.

Now it is baked at home, as the recipe is not a secret. But because of the complexity in technology, it turns out only with the most skilled and experienced housewives.