Turtle soup

Turtle Soup (English turtle soup, french claire de tortue ) is one of the most famous soups of classical cuisine. It is a clear broth from the meat of the turtle soup, beef and calf's foot, with a special blend of herbs, herbal turtles called, spiced and is usually seasoned with sherry or Madeira. The turtle meat is added finely diced before serving.

History and versions

In the variant Lady Curzon (named after Mary Victoria Curzon ) it is still covered with whipped cream, flavored with curry and au gratin short. Turtle soup Sir James is flavored with cognac and Madeira. The equally classic version with starlet ( claire de tortue au sterlet ) includes a contribution from strips of Sterletfleisch, Sterletklößchen and Aalruttenleber.

The invented in Britain in the 18th century turtle soup has a dark amber appearance, a very aromatic smell and a special, spicy flavor. They soon acquired the reputation, to be sure, " Queen of Soups " because of the Europeans sometimes exotic ingredients. Later she was also offered in cans as delicatessen.

Already towards the end of the 19th century, the green turtle was threatened by the popularity of turtle soup and other dishes from turtle meat of extinction, what the soup initially helped only to more exclusivity. Since 1988, however, the green turtle is by the CITES international protection - since then is no longer legally available turtle soup.

World's largest manufacturer of turtle soup was after the Second World War, the company Eugen Lacroix in Frankfurt am Main. 1959 250 tons of turtle were processed there. 1979 the company was taken over by the Campbell Soup Company. In 1984 the production of turtle soup was abandoned. On 27 July 1996, the factory was closed in Niederrad.

Mockturtlesuppe

Originally intended as a cheap replacement for the turtle soup, since the mid-18th century, there is already the Mockturtlesuppe (English mock turtle soup, "fake turtle soup " ) for which - in otherwise almost the same preparation - instead of turtle meat veal from the head, sometimes beef is used. Due to the personal union between Great Britain and Hanover (1714-1834) was the Mockturtlesuppe in Lower part of the country's cuisine.

Mockturtlesuppe is available in butcher shops and food markets in cans.