Kümmel (liqueur)
Kümmel, kummel or kimmel (Latvian: ķimelis), is a sweet, colourless liqueur flavoured with caraway (German: Kümmel, Latvian: ķimenes) seeds, cumin and fennel.
Historians state that
; the former is now the principal producer and consumer of kümmel.History
Kümmel's popularity grew in the early 19th century,[2] being produced by 1823[3] in Allasch, the Governorate of Livonia in Russian Empire (modern Allažmuiža [lv], Latvia). Kümmel was produced by Wilhelm von Blanckenhagen (1761–1840), who owned land around Allasch which included a pure and reliable water source.
In the mid-19th Century, kümmel was the rival of gin. Being made with caraway rather than juniper, it had one main advantage: caraway has a calmative effect, reducing flatulence and the bloated feeling experienced after a heavy meal. By 1850,[3] this "medicinal" benefit helped Ludwig Mentzendorff create a healthy business importing kümmel to Britain.
During the
In the UK, it is a popular drink at many of the more traditional golf clubs.[4] Because of its rumored ability to steady the nerves of golfers there, it acquired the nickname of "putting mixture".[2]
Allasch
Allasch is a variety of Kümmel; it is also a
peel.Invented in 1823 in Allasch,
In 1830, Allasch was exhibited at the
In Latvia, it is produced by
A charming and evocative scene of drinking kümmel occurs in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's television miniseries, "Berlin Alexanderplatz" (1980), where the character Franz Biberkopf speaks in the voices of glasses of kümmel and three beers in a philosophical dialogue as he evaluates the taste and downs each drink in turn.
References
- ^
Calabrese, Salvatore (2002). Complete Home Bartender's Guide. ISBN 0-8069-8511-9.
According to historians, the first liqueur was a preparation made from caraway (called kummel), and distilled in 1575 by Lucas Bols in Holland. Bols knew that caraway was good for the digestive system, and he hoped that it would be popular when combined with the anesthetic effect of alcohol.
- ^ a b c "allasch - The Curiologist".
- ^ a b "The Historians - Lost Ingredients: Kümmel".
- Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Spezialitaten". Leipzig-dasdorf.de. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
- ^ "Allasch | Preussische Spirituosen Manufaktur". Psmberlin.de. Archived from the original on 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
- ^ "Allažu ķimelis". Latvijas Balzams. Retrieved 2018-04-07.