Few drinks can claim to be ancestral and be back in fashion after a long time. Actually, mead is the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world. Currently, it is presented as an alternative product to the world of beer and wine. At a time when there is a great diversity of drinks, this so traditional has and will have an increasingly important presence in our gastronomy. Here we tell you the reasons why you should bet on it like the Vikings in his time.
One of the main reasons for his disappearance in the most popular circles it was due to the extension of crops of vine and cereals. These became popular and lowered the price of wine and beer. Currently, the mead It offers you some nuances that are very interesting both in the preparation of recipes and in their use as a companion to pair all kinds of dishes.
What and how is this drink?
La mead is the fermentation of a mixture of water and honey. A very appreciated drink already in the time of the Egyptians. Also by the Romans, Mayans, Greeks, Celts and, of course, by the Viking culture. All these peoples considered it to be a sacred product and that he was the one who awaited them after death.
It is certainly a liquid Very versatile. It can be more or less sweet and have more or less alcoholic amounts. You can find it like this from 8 º and even 15 º degrees. You can also buy it macerated with fruit peels such as orange or some type of herbs or spices. Although little by little innovation has grown with it by introducing other ingredients into the recipe.
It does not have to be sweet and depends, to a large extent, on the amount of honey provided, as well as the type of yeast that they use in their elaboration. We must add that it is a drink that does not contain cereals and, therefore, is suitable for Celiac. This is another of its advantages over other products.
In this way, you can have a multitude of types mead that adapt to the taste and palate of each one. Of course this makes it easier and more and more easy to Pairing with different dishes to get an experience in gastronomy in search of perfection. From the driest meads to the sweetest, some sparkling or others with spices, we find a thousand flavors and aromas. An invitation to many sommeliers to dare to combine some dishes with this ancient and you.
Mead properties
As we have commented, it is the result of fermentation of honey with water. After production in such a way, the properties of the yellow ingredient are largely preserved. In addition, the contribution and benefits of yeasts as long as the drink has not been pasteurized. In this way, it is an energy and restorative drink like honey but that depends largely on the type of mead used.
In the fermentation process, the lactic acid bacteria introduced by the bees and present in the honey mix with the yeast, so that eliminate pathogens, many of them resistant to antibiotics. This helps strengthen the immune system.
Regarding minerals, facilitates the absorption of two as important as calcium and magnesium for diseases such as osteoporosis. As a product originating from honey, it has anti-inflammatory properties. However, we must not forget that mead It's a product alcoholic and what should we drink it in moderation, like all alcoholic beverages.
Mead vinegar
One of the products it has is a vinegar. A very interesting product at the gastronomic level and what must be known to incorporate recipes, pairings or simply salads. It is excellent as it provides a flavor exquisite and different. In addition, it greatly facilitates digestion.
This vinegar is the product of a second fermentation, in this case, an acetic. As with wine, the quality of this vinegar depends on the quality of the raw material, that is, on the quality of the mead.
Product Curiosities
There are two curiosities to complement our gastronomic culture on this golden product. The first refers to the call "Honeymoon" as it referred to its consumption during an entire lunar cycle in newlyweds. Everything to get the first offspring of a male child. The second is that it was the preferred alcohol by the Roman soldiers and also the Vikings because does not produce a hangover as it has lipids in the composition. In this way, the fight was made easier for them the next day.
Now that you know a little more about the meadDo you dare to try it regularly? A very famous brand is Valhalla.
