Ptasie mleczko facts for kids
Bars of bird's milk confectionery
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| Place of origin | Poland (confectionery), Soviet Union (cake) |
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| Created by | Jan Wedel (confectionery), Vladimir Guralnik (cake) |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, chocolate, powdered milk, gelatin/agar-agar |
Ptasie mleczko (pronounced pta-shyeh mletch-koh), or Bird's milk, is a popular sweet treat from Central Europe. It started in Poland. This candy is a small bar covered in chocolate. Inside, it has a soft, fluffy filling, a bit like a marshmallow.
E. Wedel is a very famous chocolate company in Poland. They have the special right to use the name Ptasie mleczko. Other companies make similar candies, but they have different names, like Alpejskie mleczko (which means "Alpine milk"). Still, people often use Ptasie mleczko to talk about any similar candy. These candies can come in flavors like vanilla, cream, lemon, or chocolate.
In Russia, this sweet is called ptichye moloko (pronounced ptee-chye moh-loh-koh). It is both a popular candy and a famous cake. The brand first appeared in the 1960s, during the time of the Soviet Union. Companies that made these candies and cakes back then still use the name today. You can also find this sweet in other countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.
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What Does "Bird's Milk" Mean?
The idea of "bird's milk" is very old. It goes back to ancient Greece. People used this phrase to describe something very rare or impossible to find. It was like saying "something super special."
For example, in old stories, a princess might send a suitor to find bird's milk. This was a test to see how brave and clever he was. It showed that bird's milk was seen as a magical, hard-to-get luxury.
History and Different Kinds
The first Bird's milk candy was made in 1936 in Poland. It was created by Jan Wedel, who owned the E. Wedel Company. The story goes that Jan Wedel got the idea for the name after traveling to France. He wondered what could make a person happy if they already had everything. He thought, "Maybe only bird's milk!"
In Russia, ptichye moloko candy first appeared in 1967. It became very popular, and factories started making a lot of it by 1975.
Other countries also have their own versions of this candy:
- In Estonia, it's called linnupiim. This candy uses a plant-based ingredient called agar-agar instead of gelatin. It comes in chocolate, vanilla, and lemon flavors.
- In Moldova, it's called lapte de pasăre. This candy is made by the Bucuria factory.
Bird's Milk Cake
In 1978, the popular candy was turned into a cake. This happened at the Praga Restaurant in Moscow, Russia. The cake was created by a chef named Vladimir Guralnik.
The Bird's milk cake is a light sponge cake. It has a fluffy, airy filling called a soufflé. The top is covered with a chocolate glaze. A special thing about the Russian recipe is that it uses agar-agar instead of gelatin. Agar-agar is a plant-based thickener that works well with hot sugar syrup.
At first, the restaurant made only a few of these cakes each day. But they became so popular that soon they were making 500 cakes daily! Other restaurants in Moscow quickly started making their own versions. Today, both the candy and the cake are easy to find in stores all over Russia.
Special Names and Trademarks
Some names for Bird's milk, like Lapte de pasăre, Ptasie Mleczko, Ptiche moloko, and Vogelmilch, are officially registered trademarks in the European Union. This means only certain companies can use these names.
In Russia, Птичье молоко (Ptichye moloko) is a registered trademark of the Rot Front company. This means other companies might get into legal trouble if they use this exact name, even if they made the candy during the Soviet era.
See also
