Advocaat

Eggnog is an alcoholic beverage that is made ​​of alcohol, egg yolks and sugar or honey. It has an alcohol content of at least 14, typically around 20 % vol

Eggnog is pure, drunk, for example as an aperitif to coffee. It is drunk typically cooled to drinking temperature is between 10 ° C and 12 ° C. In addition, eggnog is also the basis of many cocktails and long drinks and flavoring ingredient in cakes and pies. Traditionally, it is popular at Easter and especially at Christmas time in hot drinks such as eggnog. Leading producer in Germany, the Bonn-based company Verpoorten with 85-90 % market share, the buyers are 80% women.

Production

In the eggnog the fat contained in the egg yolk together with the water-soluble constituents, an emulsion, and the liqueur in a homogeneous, viscous consistency. Eggnog making it one of the emulsion liqueurs. Yolk as an emulsifier, contains the natural lecithin in an amount sufficient, no emulsifier needs to be added; the emulsion is prepared exclusively by intensive stirring of ingredients under the influence of heat.

Ingredients

The most important and decisive flavor ingredient is egg yolk, the minimum content of 140 g of pure egg yolk per liter. The eggs used must necessarily be free of unpleasant odors and flavors, such as foul or fishy smell, because even a small amount of egg yolk whole production batches may affect eggnog qualitatively or even make it unusable with false note. Also, a "healthy" color of the yolk is important so that the eggnog does not fail too pale or too dark, even if the color of egg yolks usually says nothing about the taste. Therefore angebrütete, damaged, discolored, or unpleasant-smelling eggs are sorted out. In the manufacture on a large industrial scale, where the eggs are mechanically opened and separated, this can be done in part by candling with UV radiation, otherwise it is consuming manual work.

It is permissible to add in a smaller amount and protein, to improve the emulsion. In any case, the yolk always adheres to a certain amount of protein that you can not separate, so that eggnog definitely contains a small amount of protein.

Salmonella die in eggnog with 14 or 20 % alcohol by volume reliably, by eating one egg liqueur with regulations alcohol content, the consumer does not so ill with salmonellosis.

The alcohol is added either as pure alcohol of agricultural origin or in the form of a distillate such as fruit or grain spirits or rum. To set the desired alcohol content, this is optionally diluted with water. Natural or nature identical flavorings may be added to round out the flavor. Most commonly, especially in home recipes, is vanilla or vanillin.

Industrial production

In the industrial production of egg nog egg yolk and, where appropriate, protein, honey, sugar syrup or added sugar dissolved in water, alcohol, water and flavorings in a large, heated and cooling means and the mixing container. Such Mischbhälter are available in sizes from a few hundred liters, but there are also large plants with 10-20 cubic meters capacity. In the container, the mixture is heated with continuous stirring to just below 60 ° C; the temperature must be strictly adhered to, because protein coagulates at 62 ° C. The plant is then stirred about 45-60 minutes at this temperature and thus provides a stable emulsion as possible from the blended ingredients forth.

Then the container is slowly cooled and discharged the emulsion, it is filtered through a fine sieve under conditions to remove remaining larger pieces of the egg yolk. It is also possible, even to homogenize the emulsion with a high-pressure pump, whereby such yolk ingredients are also crushed sufficiently in others.

By the preceding steps, the finished liqueur air or inert gas is added, so he has to stand for several days in an open container, so that the gas bubbles can escape; then it is carried out.

Production in the household

Eggnog is often made ​​in the home itself. The necessary denatured alcohol get individuals in the pharmacy, or take a distillate of their choice such as kirsch. The ingredients are mixed usually with a hand blender or food processor cold or at room temperature or in a water bath, but it's hard to give without professional temperature-controlled emulsifying the liqueur the desired creamy consistency. Recipes for home use require almost always the addition of cream, condensed milk or milk while industrially produced eggnog usually contains no dairy products.

To reduce the risk of salmonella, it is important that the alcohol content is high enough. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommends that raw eggs initially only with the alcohol component mixed three days to leave at room temperature. In the final product, the alcohol content should be at least 10% vol.

Regulatory

Eggnog is according to the European Spirits Regulation (EC 110/2008, Article 9 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Annex II No. 41 ) is defined as spirit drink produced from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin ( Agragralkohol ), distillate and / or spirit, the other constituents as egg yolk containing egg white and sugar or honey. A flavor of the liqueur with natural or nature- identical flavoring substances is allowed. The law requires at least 140 g egg yolks and 150 g of sugar per liter and a minimum alcohol content of 14 percent by volume.

Eggnog needs like all spirits after the German food labeling regulation not be marked with a list of ingredients according to § 6 para 6 LMKV. However, this does not apply to the products listed in Annex 3 of Regulation allergens and other potentially incompatible ingredients, including dairy products. If an eggnog So, for example, contain cream, so this must be labeled. Eggs would basically fall even lower, but their presence is already from the name " eggnog " out, and they need not be specified separately.

Durability

Eggnog should be kept cool and dark. It is recommended that dawned deplete it within six months, unopened in twelve. However, it is no health risk by bacterial spoilage, it suffers only with time the taste. In addition, the consistency can be unpleasant. Due to high alcohol content, no germs can multiply in it, so no marking with a date of minimum durability is required under German food law.

History

In the 17th century European conquerors discovered in Brazil today for indigenous peoples of the Amazon, a soft drink called " Abacate ". From the drink made ​​with avocados was with addition of cane sugar and rum " Advocaat ", the early form of egg liqueur. According to the company Verpoorten native of Antwerp company founder Eugene Verpoorten invented the eggnog in its present form in an attempt to imitate this drink. Since avocados were poorly available in Europe, he used egg yolks instead. In 1876 he founded his company in Heinberg near Aachen.

A similar drink, the Mexican " rompope " from eggs, milk, vanilla and rum, was introduced from Spain to Mexico, and is cooked there since the 17th century in Puebla in the Convento de Santa Clara. In English-speaking countries also similar Eggnog is particularly popular at Christmas time.