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 |
Bird's milk (called Ptasie mleczko in Polish) is a yummy candy from Central Europe. It started in Poland. This sweet treat is a small bar covered in chocolate. Inside, it has a soft, fluffy filling, a bit like a marshmallow.
A famous company called E. Wedel in Poland makes these candies. They have special rights to use the name Ptasie mleczko. Other companies make similar candies, but they use different names. Still, many people call any candy like this "Bird's milk," even if it's vanilla, lemon, or chocolate flavored.
In Russia, this candy is known as ptichye moloko. It's also a very popular cake there. This brand became famous in the 1960s during the Soviet era. Factories that made these candies and cakes back then still use the name today. You can also find this candy 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 all the way back to ancient Greece! People like Aristophanes used "the milk of the birds" to mean something super rare. It was like saying something was almost impossible to find or get.
The saying also appeared in old stories. For example, in one fairy tale, a princess sends her suitor on a quest. She asks him to find bird's milk. This was her way of testing how much he loved her and how clever he was. It was the one magical thing she didn't have. In some Slavic folk tales, a special bird named Gagana was said to produce milk.
So, the name "Bird's milk" for the candy means it's a special and rare treat.
History of Bird's Milk Candy
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 was traveling in France. He wondered what could make someone happy if they already had everything. He thought, "Maybe only bird's milk!" That's how he got the idea for the name.
In Russia, the ptichye moloko candy first appeared in 1967 in Vladivostok. Then, in 1968, the Rot Front factory in Moscow started making it. It became a huge hit! By 1975, a factory in Moscow called Krasny Oktyabr began making it in large amounts.
Other countries also have their own versions. In Estonia, the candy is called linnupiim. It's made by the Kalev candy factory. This candy often uses agar-agar instead of gelatin to make it thick. It comes in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and lemon. In 2021, they even made a special grapefruit flavor.
In Moldova, the candy is called lapte de pasăre. The Bucuria candy factory makes it. This candy is different from a traditional Romanian dessert that has the same name.
Bird's Milk Cake
In 1978, the popular Bird's milk candy became a cake! Vladimir Guralnik, a chef at Moscow's Praga Restaurant, created it. This cake is a light sponge cake with a fluffy, airy filling called a soufflé. It's topped 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. It can handle high heat, which is important for melting sugar into syrup for the cake.
At first, the restaurant made only 20-30 cakes a day. But after six months, they were making 500 cakes daily! Other restaurants in Moscow quickly copied the recipe. In the 1980s, a special factory was built just for Bird's milk cakes in Moscow. Both the candy and cake versions of Bird's milk are still very popular today. You can find them in supermarkets and special stores all over Russia.
Protecting the Name
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Names like Lapte de pasăre, Ptasie Mleczko, Ptiche moloko, and Vogelmilch are registered trademarks in the European Union. This means only certain companies have the right to use these names for their products.
In Russia, Птичье молоко is a registered trademark of Rot Front. This company is part of a larger group called United Confectioners. Other companies have been taken to court for using the name, even if they had used it during the Soviet Union era. This shows how important it is to protect brand names.
See also
