So I went to the library archives with DP today and was browsing as he got the books he needed, and a book popped out at me from the shelf. It's an old book about Finnish food traditions. There's a lot of interesting things in it, but what really got me excited was the section about something called "bench gruel" or alternatively "milk of the field" (literally translated), a sour drink made of rye flour and water, "about the thickness of piimä [buttermilk]".
Apparently "bench gruel" was what was drunk by the common folk in "milkless times", that is, in the winter when the cows dried up. Traditionally Finns relied heavily on (raw, cultured) milk products in their diet, so it would make sense that a substitute was needed when the family cow wasn't producing milk. The book cites several old sources describing how "bench gruel" was made:
In a reference from 1751 "bench gruel" is called "edible batter" and the author adds "The people claim this to be one of their healthiest foods, which strengthens them the most".
What a great substitute for raw/cultured milk to drink! It has all the minerals of whole grain in a highly accessible form, plus the lactobacilli from the long souring process. I found this fascinating, and I wonder if there are corresponding foods in other northern, heavily milk-reliant cultures. I am really curious to try this out for myself now, in a smaller batch of course.
Apparently "bench gruel" was what was drunk by the common folk in "milkless times", that is, in the winter when the cows dried up. Traditionally Finns relied heavily on (raw, cultured) milk products in their diet, so it would make sense that a substitute was needed when the family cow wasn't producing milk. The book cites several old sources describing how "bench gruel" was made:
Quote:
| It was normally made a tubful at a time, so that there would be enough to drink for a week. Rye and malt flour were mixed in lukewarm water into a thick mixture. The water couldn't be hot while the mixture was fermenting. The tub was lifted to a bench beside the oven [this would have been a giant wood oven that took up almost a whole wall of a one room cabin and was used for heating and cooking] and covered. After the mixture started fermenting hot water was added and whisked in well to cook it. The mixture now got to sour little by little for two or three days, after which it was ready to drink. It was poured into pints and kept on the table between meals. |
What a great substitute for raw/cultured milk to drink! It has all the minerals of whole grain in a highly accessible form, plus the lactobacilli from the long souring process. I found this fascinating, and I wonder if there are corresponding foods in other northern, heavily milk-reliant cultures. I am really curious to try this out for myself now, in a smaller batch of course.
Apparently (don't remember where I read this) it was the practice in some parts of Germany at some point to barely breastfeed at all and just give gruel from very early on 
Anyway, I don't think it's a coincidence at all that only kids used to drink fresh milk!
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