The mother of all essential desserts

[amateur51]

It's not ethical and, even before it was ethical, it was probably horrible. I do actually like home made rice pudding, heavy on the nutmeg and thick of the skin. There is something called Blancmange, I don't know about that, it seems we are going back to Victorian nursery foods? Give me a Greek thick yoghurt anytime!

Not ethical?

Why so?

[amateur51]

I love panna cotta, especially if there are loads of vanilla seeds in it. (Is it really the same as junket?)

Same goes for rice pudding.

Basically I love anything with lots of real vanilla in it.

Give me a bowl of real home-made custard with plenty of real vanilla, I'll be a happy bunny and keep quiet for ages!

Me too, Caliban - yum

[Anna]

Not ethical? Why so?

Natural calf rennet is extracted from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber (the abomasum) of slaughtered young, unweaned calves.

[amateur51]

Natural calf rennet is extracted from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber (the abomasum) of slaughtered young, unweaned calves.

Later on in the same wiki article, we find:

"Because of the limited availability of mammalian stomachs for rennet production, cheese makers have looked for other ways to coagulate the milk since at least Roman times. There are many sources of enzymes, ranging from plants, fungi, and microbial sources, that can substitute for animal rennet. Cheeses produced from any of these varieties of rennet are suitable for lacto-vegetarians to consume. GMO-Microbial rennet (see below) is used more often in industrial cheesemaking in North America today because it is less expensive than animal rennet, whereas cheese from Europe is more likely to be made from animal rennet due to tradition.[citation needed]
Vegetable rennet

Many plants have coagulating properties. Homer suggests in the Iliad that the Greeks used an extract of fig juice to coagulate milk.[1] Other examples include dried caper leaves[2], nettles, thistles, mallow, and Ground Ivy (Creeping Charlie). Enzymes from thistle or cynara are used in some traditional cheese production in the Mediterranean. Phytic acid, derived from unfermented soybeans, or genetically modified (GM) soy rennet may also be used.

These real vegetable rennets are also suitable for vegetarians. Vegetable rennet might be used in the production of kosher and halal cheeses but nearly all kosher cheeses are produced with either microbial rennet or genetically modified rennet. Worldwide, there is no industrial production for vegetable rennet. Commercial so-called vegetable rennets usually contain rennet from the mold Mucor miehei - see microbial rennet below.
Microbial rennet

Some molds such as Rhizomucor miehei are able to produce proteolytic enzymes. These molds are produced in a fermenter and then specially concentrated and purified to avoid contamination with unpleasant byproducts of the mold growth. At the present state of scientific research, governmental food safety organizations such as the European Food Safety Authority deny QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety) status to enzymes produced especially by these molds.

The flavor and taste of cheeses produced with microbial rennets tend towards some bitterness, especially after longer maturation periods.[3] These so-called "microbial rennets" are suitable for vegetarians, provided no animal-based alimentation was used during the production.
Genetically engineered rennet

Because of the above imperfections of microbial rennets, some producers sought further replacements of natural rennet. With the development of genetic engineering, it became possible to insert cow genes into certain bacteria, fungi or yeasts to make them produce chymosin. Chymosin produced by genetically modified organisms was the first artificially produced enzyme to be registered and allowed by the US Food and Drug Administration. In 1999, about 60% of US hard cheese was made with genetically engineered chymosin[4] and it has up to 80% of the global market share for rennet.[5] By 2008, approximately 80% to 90% of commercially made cheeses in the US and Britain were made using GM-based rennet.[6] One example of a commercially available genetically engineered rennet is Chymax, created by Pfizer. Today, the most widely used genetically engineered rennet is produced by the fungus Aspergillus niger.[citation needed]

Cheese production with genetically engineered rennet is similar to production with natural calf rennet. GMO-produced rennet contains only one of the known main chymosin types, either type A or type B. Other chymosin types found in natural rennet do not exist in GMO-produced rennet.[citation needed]

Often, a mixture of genetically engineered chymosin and natural pepsin is used to imitate the complexity of natural rennet and to get the same results in coagulation and in development of flavour and taste.[citation needed]

The so-called "GM rennets" are suitable for vegetarians if there was no animal-based alimentation used during the production in the fermenter. However, genetically engineered rennet is often produced from soy or phytic acid, which is unsuitable for people who have soy-based allergies.[citation needed]
Acid coagulation

Milk can also be coagulated by adding an acid, such as citric acid.

Cream cheese, paneer, and rubing are traditionally made this way (see Category:Acid-set cheeses for others). The acidification can also come from bacterial fermentation such as in cultured milk."

So not necessarily unethical

[Mary Chambers]

I do actually like home made rice pudding, heavy on the nutmeg and thick of the skin. There is something called Blancmange, I don't know about that, it seems we are going back to Victorian nursery foods? Give me a Greek thick yoghurt anytime!

Blancmange was still around in the 1950s. It was considered a treat, along with jelly. I think it was mostly cornflour, milk and sugar. The best blancmanges were pink

I don't think I tasted yoghurt until the 1960s. How we managed without it I can't imagine.

I agree about the nutmeg, the making of many a pudding!

[Serial_Apologist]

It's not ethical and, even before it was ethical, it was probably horrible. I do actually like home made rice pudding, heavy on the nutmeg and thick of the skin. There is something called Blancmange, I don't know about that, it seems we are going back to Victorian nursery foods? Give me a Greek thick yoghurt anytime!

Here our tastes diverge markedly Anna, I have to say!

Blancmange (blank mange ) was harmless enough but on the insipid side.

Someone has mentioned sago pudding. Arrrrrgh! - the most revolting stuff I've ever had displeasure... used to be known as frogspawn when I was at school.

[salymap]

Here our tastes diverge markedly Anna, I have to say!

Blancmange (blank mange ) was harmless enough but on the insipid side.

Someone has mentioned sago pudding. Arrrrrgh! - the most revolting stuff I've ever had displeasure... used to be known as frogspawn when I was at school.

S-A yes I agree and years ago when I had a spell in hospital revolting sago pudding was served every day.We called it frogspawn too.

[amateur51]

S-A yes I agree and years ago when I had a spell in hospital revolting sago pudding was served every day.We called it frogspawn too.

Sago pudding wards off MRSA, salymap - tis a well known fact

[Anna]

S-A yes I agree and years ago when I had a spell in hospital revolting sago pudding was served every day.We called it frogspawn too.

I thought frogspawn was Tapioca and Sago was solid?
How do you start a pudding race? Sago

[Serial_Apologist]

Sago pudding wards off MRSA, salymap - tis a well known fact

What's the scientific explanation, Ams? The bugs come along, take one look and scarper?

[Serial_Apologist]

I thought frogspawn was Tapioca and Sago was solid?
How do you start a pudding race? Sago

Now you're really pudding me off, Anna!

[teamsaint]

I love panna cotta, especially if there are loads of vanilla seeds in it. (Is it really the same as junket?)

Same goes for rice pudding.

Basically I love anything with lots of real vanilla in it.

Give me a bowl of real home-made custard with plenty of real vanilla, I'll be a happy bunny and keep quiet for ages!

Worth a try !

[Anna]

Now you're really pudding me off, Anna!

Well, Wiki says about Tapioca "British schoolchildren have traditionally nicknamed the dish frog spawn, due to its appearance" So, I think I am right that Sago is pretty solid. stuff, probably good as wallpaper paste. However, it doesn't matter because no-one eats this type of stuff.

[amateur51]

What's the scientific explanation, Ams? The bugs come along, take one look and scarper?

If you were an MRSA bug, used to living in warm moist groins and up nostrils, would you want to risk the slippery slopes of sago pudding out in the open, S_A?

Nuff said

[amateur51]

Well, Wiki says about Tapioca "British schoolchildren have traditionally nicknamed the dish frog spawn, due to its appearance" So, I think I am right that Sago is pretty solid. stuff, probably good as wallpaper paste. However, it doesn't matter because no-one eats this type of stuff.

British schoolchildren? They know nothing