Junket (dessert) facts for kids
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A Jasmine tea Junket
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| Type | Pudding |
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| Main ingredients | Sweetened milk, rennet, sugar, vanilla |
Junket is a yummy dessert made from milk. It's a bit like a soft, wobbly pudding. To make it, you mix sweetened milk with something called rennet. Rennet is a special enzyme that helps the milk thicken, or 'curdle'. Sometimes, old cookbooks call this dessert 'curds and whey'.
Contents
How to Make Junket
Making junket is quite simple! First, you gently warm some milk. People often add sugar and vanilla to make it sweet and tasty. The milk should be warm, about the same temperature as your body.
Next, you mix in rennet. Rennet is usually dissolved in a little water first. This special ingredient makes the warm milk thicken up and become solid. After mixing, the dessert is put in the fridge to get cold.
When it's ready to eat, junket is often served with a little bit of grated nutmeg sprinkled on top.
The History of Junket
Junket has been around for a long time! It came from an old French dish called jonquet. That dish was made from cream that had been thickened with rennet. The watery part was drained away, and the thick cream was sweetened.
Junket in Medieval Times
In medieval England, junket was a fancy food. Rich people and nobles enjoyed it. They made it with cream and added flavors like rosewater, spices, and sugar.
However, during the time of the Tudors (a famous royal family), junket became less popular for banquets. Other desserts like syllabubs took its place. By the 1700s, junket was no longer a special dish. Instead, it became an everyday food that was sold on the streets.
Junket as a Comfort Food
For most of the 1900s, especially in the eastern United States, junket made with milk was a popular food for children who were sick. This was because it was sweet and easy to digest. It was a comforting treat when feeling unwell.
Where the Word "Junket" Comes From
The exact origin of the word "junket" is a bit of a mystery. It might be linked to the Norman word jonquette. This word described a type of cream made with boiled milk, egg yolks, sugar, and caramel.
Another idea is that it comes from the Italian word giuncata. It could also be directly from the medieval Latin word juncata. The word might also come from the French word jonches. This was a name for fresh milk cheese that was drained in a basket made of rushes. The basket itself was called a jonquet.
Images for kids
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Hansell brand ‘’Junket’’ rennet tablets
See also
In Spanish: Junket para niños
