Now that we have dealt with the Posset, we will look at a close relative: the Syllabub.
Syllabub differs from Posset in that the latter is made by heating, whereas the former remains cold. [6-554][6-706]
Etymology
Various spellings of Syllabub have been handed down in old books: Syllabub, Solybubbe, Sullabub, Sullibib, Sullybub, Sullibub. [2] The etymology of the word is unknown. [2][4]
The oldest reference
The Syllabub has been known since at least 1537, when the play ‘A New Interlude Called Thersites’ was published, which states: “You and I… Muste walke to him and eate a solybubbe.”[2][3][6-706]
It is said that Syllabub was a popular British dessert from the 16th to the 19th century, in which sweet cream or milk was curdled by adding wine or cider. Early recipes favoured cider and by the 17th century it had evolved into a dessert with sweet white wine. Syllabub was also prepared with whipped cream and beaten egg whites, giving it an airy lightness. [2][3][6-706]
Mully of Mountown. A poem. By the author of the Tale of a tub. 1705. [8]
William King described it in 1704 with the words: “Thy white wine, sugar, milk, together club / To make that gentle viand, syllabub.”[6-706][8]
Kenelm Digby’s recipes
As a look into the old books shows, there were many different ways of preparing Syllabub. To give an overview of the possible recipes, we quote Kenelm Digby, as we did with the Posset. He lists several Syllabub recipes:
A Syllabub. The Closet Of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt opened. 1677, page 108-109. [1-108][1-109]
“A Syllabub. My Lady Middlesex makes Syllabubs for little glasses with spouts, thus: Take three pints of sweet Cream, one of quick White-wine (or Rhenish) and a good wine glassful (better a quarter of a pint) of Sack; mingle with them about three quarters of a pound of fine Sugar in powder. Beat all these together with a whisk, till all appeareth converted into froth. Then pour it into your little Syllabub-glasses, and let them stand all night. The next day the Curd will be thick and firm above, and the drink clear under it. I conceive it may do well, to put into each glass (when you pour the liquor into it) a sprig of Rosemary a little bruised, or a little Limon-peel, or some such thing to quicken the taste; or use Amber-sugar, or spirit of Cinnamon, or of Lignum-Cassiae; or Nutmegs, or Mace, or Cloves, a very little.” [1-108][1-109]
Here you can see the relationship to the Posset: this Syllabub is also served in spouted glasses.
William Tipper aptly comments on this: “Although the combination of dairy curds and wine or cider has its roots in the most elemental mixology (some early recipes directed that the cow be milked directly into the cider), the syllabub becomes truly noteworthy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as a stage for ingenuity in display, as the contrast between the wine and froth could be set off in decorative glassware and arrayed for dazzling visual effect.”[6-707]
To make a whip Syllabub. The Closet Of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt opened. 1677, page 113. [1-113]
A simpler version is this one: “To make a whip Syllabub. Take the whites of two eggs, and a pint of Cream, six spoonfuls of Sack, as much Sugar as will sweeten it; then take a Birchen-rod and whip it; as it riseth with froth, skim it, and put it into the Syllabub-pot: so continue it with whipping and skimming till your Syllabub-pot be full.”[1-113]
As this recipe shows, the Syllabub was also served without liquid.
To make a plain Syllabub. The Closet Of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt opened. 1677, page 114. [1-114]
It can be even easier “To make a plain Syllabub. Take a pint of verjuyce in a boul, milk the Cow to the verjuyee; take off the Curd, and take sweet Cream, and beat them together with a little Sack and Sugar; put it into your Syllabub-pot; then strew Sugar on it, and so send it to the Table.” [1-114]
A Syllabub. The Closet Of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt opened. 1677, page 186. [1-186]
This recipe, which uses plum syrup, shows what variations were possible: “A Syllabub. Take a reasonable quantity (as about half a porrenger full) of the Syrup, that hath served in the making of dried Plumbs; and into a large Syllabub-pot milk, or squirt, or let fall from high a sufficient quantity of Milk or Cream. This Syrup is very quick of the fruit, and very weak of Sugar; and therefore makes the Syllabub exceeding well tasted. You may also use the Syrup used in the like manner in the drying of Cherries.”[1-186]
Hannah Woolley’s recipes
Hannah Woolley’s ‘Cooks Guide’ from 1664 contains these recipes:
To make a Sillibub. Hannah Wolley: The Cooks Guide. 1664, page 91. [5-91]
“To make a Sillibub. TAKE a Lemmon pared & sliced very thin, cover the bottom of your Sillibub pot with it; then strew it thick with fine sugar, then take Sack or white Wine, and make a curd with some Milk or Cream, and lay it on the Lemmon with a spoon, then cover it up to the top of the pot with some Cream and whites of Eggs whipped to a froth, and between every lay of curd you must put sugar.”[5-91]
Is there only one layer of curd and one of cream and egg white mixture? The instruction to sprinkle sugar on each layer of curd suggests that there should be multiple layers.
To make a Lemmon Sillibub. Hannah Wolley: The Cooks Guide. 1664, page 92. [5-92]
Another recipe is this one: “To make a Lemmon Sillibub. TAKE a pint of new Milk, and half a pint of Cream, stir them together with a little Rosewater and sugar; then squeeze into it the juyce of two Lemmons, stir it very well together, and so let it stand an hour, and then eat it.”[5-92]
This recipe is closely related to the Posset. This recipe does not involve beating eggs or cream until frothy; instead, the ingredients are simply curdled, as in a Posset, but without the addition of heat.
Eine andere Rezeptur von Hannah Wooley ist diese: »Um einen aufgeschlagenen Sillubub zu machen. Nimm eine Pinte Sahne, füge eine halbe Pinte Sack dazu, und das Eiweiß von vier Eiern und etwas Zucker, schlage es mit einer Birkenrute schaumig, und wenn der Schaum entsteht, nimm ihn ab und gib ihn in deinen Sillubub-Topf, bis du ihn bis zum Rand gefüllt hast.« [5-93]
To make a whiped Sillibub. Hannah Wolley: The Cooks Guide. 1664, page 93. [5-93]
Another recipe from Hannah Wooley is this one:- “To make a whipt Sillubub. TAKE a pint of Cream, put to it half a pint of Sack, and the whites of four Eggs and some sugar, beat it to froth with a birchin Rod, and as the froth ariseth, take it off and put it into your Sillubub pot till you have filled it above the brim.”[5-93]
William Terrington’s recipes
William Terrington may serve as a witness to how a Syllabub was prepared in the British Isles around 1869. He mentions three recipes:
Lemon Syllabubs. William Terrington: Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks. 1869, page 122-123. [7-122][7-123]
“Lemon Syllabubs.- To 1 pint of cream add pint of white wine, thin peel of 3 lemons, juice of 1 lemon, 1 lb. powdered sugar; whip up well with 1 white of egg, and collect the froth off on a sieve. When served, put the liquor in glasses, and some froth on top.”[7-122][7-123]
Birthday Syllabub. William Terrington: Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks. 1869, page 200. [7-200]
“Birthday Syllabub.- Juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 lb. of sugar, mixed in a bowl; add pint of sherry; grate in a nutmeg; add 2 quarts new milk; in serving, let the curd remain in the glass.”[7-200]
West Country Syllabub. William Terrington: Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks. 1869, page 202. [7-202]
“West Country Syllabub.- Put in a bowl 1 pint of port wine, 1 pint of sherry; sweeten to taste; add 2 quarts of new milk; in half an hour cover well with clotted cream, with some grated nutmeg and cinnamon.” [7-202]
Now that we have understood the differences, similarities and possible variations of Posset and Syllabub, it is time to turn our attention to a drink that is still very popular today: Eggnog. This will be the subject of the next post in this series.
Sources
https://archive.org/details/closetofeminentl00digb/page/n5/mode/2up Kenelme Digby: The Closet Of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt opened: whereby is discovered several ways for making of metheglin, syder, cherry-wine, &c., together with excellent directions for cookery, as also for preserving, conserving, candying, &c. The Third Edition Corrected. London, 1677.
David Wondrich & Noah Rothbaum (Hrsg.): The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails. ISBN 9780199311132. 2022.
William Terrington: Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks. Collection of Recipes for „Cups“ and Other Compounded Drinks, and of General Information on Beverages of All Kinds. London & New York, George Routledge & Sons, 1869.
Syllabub differs from Posset in that the latter is made by heating, whereas the former remains cold. [6-554] [6-706]
Etymology
Various spellings of Syllabub have been handed down in old books: Syllabub, Solybubbe, Sullabub, Sullibib, Sullybub, Sullibub. [2] The etymology of the word is unknown. [2] [4]
The oldest reference
The Syllabub has been known since at least 1537, when the play ‘A New Interlude Called Thersites’ was published, which states: “You and I… Muste walke to him and eate a solybubbe.” [2] [3] [6-706]
What is a Syllabub?
It is said that Syllabub was a popular British dessert from the 16th to the 19th century, in which sweet cream or milk was curdled by adding wine or cider. Early recipes favoured cider and by the 17th century it had evolved into a dessert with sweet white wine. Syllabub was also prepared with whipped cream and beaten egg whites, giving it an airy lightness. [2] [3] [6-706]
William King described it in 1704 with the words: “Thy white wine, sugar, milk, together club / To make that gentle viand, syllabub.” [6-706] [8]
Kenelm Digby’s recipes
As a look into the old books shows, there were many different ways of preparing Syllabub. To give an overview of the possible recipes, we quote Kenelm Digby, as we did with the Posset. He lists several Syllabub recipes:
“A Syllabub. My Lady Middlesex makes Syllabubs for little glasses with spouts, thus: Take three pints of sweet Cream, one of quick White-wine (or Rhenish) and a good wine glassful (better a quarter of a pint) of Sack; mingle with them about three quarters of a pound of fine Sugar in powder. Beat all these together with a whisk, till all appeareth converted into froth. Then pour it into your little Syllabub-glasses, and let them stand all night. The next day the Curd will be thick and firm above, and the drink clear under it. I conceive it may do well, to put into each glass (when you pour the liquor into it) a sprig of Rosemary a little bruised, or a little Limon-peel, or some such thing to quicken the taste; or use Amber-sugar, or spirit of Cinnamon, or of Lignum-Cassiae; or Nutmegs, or Mace, or Cloves, a very little.” [1-108] [1-109]
Here you can see the relationship to the Posset: this Syllabub is also served in spouted glasses.
William Tipper aptly comments on this: “Although the combination of dairy curds and wine or cider has its roots in the most elemental mixology (some early recipes directed that the cow be milked directly into the cider), the syllabub becomes truly noteworthy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as a stage for ingenuity in display, as the contrast between the wine and froth could be set off in decorative glassware and arrayed for dazzling visual effect.” [6-707]
A simpler version is this one: “To make a whip Syllabub. Take the whites of two eggs, and a pint of Cream, six spoonfuls of Sack, as much Sugar as will sweeten it; then take a Birchen-rod and whip it; as it riseth with froth, skim it, and put it into the Syllabub-pot: so continue it with whipping and skimming till your Syllabub-pot be full.” [1-113]
As this recipe shows, the Syllabub was also served without liquid.
It can be even easier “To make a plain Syllabub. Take a pint of verjuyce in a boul, milk the Cow to the verjuyee; take off the Curd, and take sweet Cream, and beat them together with a little Sack and Sugar; put it into your Syllabub-pot; then strew Sugar on it, and so send it to the Table.” [1-114]
This recipe, which uses plum syrup, shows what variations were possible: “A Syllabub. Take a reasonable quantity (as about half a porrenger full) of the Syrup, that hath served in the making of dried Plumbs; and into a large Syllabub-pot milk, or squirt, or let fall from high a sufficient quantity of Milk or Cream. This Syrup is very quick of the fruit, and very weak of Sugar; and therefore makes the Syllabub exceeding well tasted. You may also use the Syrup used in the like manner in the drying of Cherries.” [1-186]
Hannah Woolley’s recipes
Hannah Woolley’s ‘Cooks Guide’ from 1664 contains these recipes:
“To make a Sillibub. TAKE a Lemmon pared & sliced very thin, cover the bottom of your Sillibub pot with it; then strew it thick with fine sugar, then take Sack or white Wine, and make a curd with some Milk or Cream, and lay it on the Lemmon with a spoon, then cover it up to the top of the pot with some Cream and whites of Eggs whipped to a froth, and between every lay of curd you must put sugar.” [5-91]
Is there only one layer of curd and one of cream and egg white mixture? The instruction to sprinkle sugar on each layer of curd suggests that there should be multiple layers.
Another recipe is this one: “To make a Lemmon Sillibub. TAKE a pint of new Milk, and half a pint of Cream, stir them together with a little Rosewater and sugar; then squeeze into it the juyce of two Lemmons, stir it very well together, and so let it stand an hour, and then eat it.” [5-92]
This recipe is closely related to the Posset. This recipe does not involve beating eggs or cream until frothy; instead, the ingredients are simply curdled, as in a Posset, but without the addition of heat.
Eine andere Rezeptur von Hannah Wooley ist diese: »Um einen aufgeschlagenen Sillubub zu machen. Nimm eine Pinte Sahne, füge eine halbe Pinte Sack dazu, und das Eiweiß von vier Eiern und etwas Zucker, schlage es mit einer Birkenrute schaumig, und wenn der Schaum entsteht, nimm ihn ab und gib ihn in deinen Sillubub-Topf, bis du ihn bis zum Rand gefüllt hast.« [5-93]
Another recipe from Hannah Wooley is this one:- “To make a whipt Sillubub. TAKE a pint of Cream, put to it half a pint of Sack, and the whites of four Eggs and some sugar, beat it to froth with a birchin Rod, and as the froth ariseth, take it off and put it into your Sillubub pot till you have filled it above the brim.” [5-93]
William Terrington’s recipes
William Terrington may serve as a witness to how a Syllabub was prepared in the British Isles around 1869. He mentions three recipes:
“Lemon Syllabubs.- To 1 pint of cream add pint of white wine, thin peel of 3 lemons, juice of 1 lemon, 1 lb. powdered sugar; whip up well with 1 white of egg, and collect the froth off on a sieve. When served, put the liquor in glasses, and some froth on top.” [7-122] [7-123]
“Birthday Syllabub.- Juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 lb. of sugar, mixed in a bowl; add pint of sherry; grate in a nutmeg; add 2 quarts new milk; in serving, let the curd remain in the glass.” [7-200]
“West Country Syllabub.- Put in a bowl 1 pint of port wine, 1 pint of sherry; sweeten to taste; add 2 quarts of new milk; in half an hour cover well with clotted cream, with some grated nutmeg and cinnamon.” [7-202]
Now that we have understood the differences, similarities and possible variations of Posset and Syllabub, it is time to turn our attention to a drink that is still very popular today: Eggnog. This will be the subject of the next post in this series.
Sources
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