Scum

Scum produced during cooking of protein-rich ingredients in liquids, eg in the preparation of meat broth or legumes. It consists of protein, which has leaked from the cells and forms primarily at the beginning of the cooking process. He is at first whitish and is increasingly gray, since it binds suspended solids from the liquid itself. Is the protein in the scum completely clotted, causes it to precipitate out and can cloud the liquid. To avoid this, it must be repeated skimmed off with a slotted spoon. This process is known in the kitchen language as skimming.

Further use of the term

Since the 15th century, the term scum is also colloquially transferred to "bad, expelled people ", " mob " used.

The phrase " scum of the earth " is the translation of the first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul. It refers to the apostles, who are despised by the world. In classical Greek original text reads: περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου - perikatharmata tou kosmou.