[Sca-cooks] Ambergris

[Johnna Holloway]

Finally had a few minutes to run this through a few databases.

OED lists the following quotations from printed sources from before 1600:

1481–90    Howard Househ. Bks. <> (1841) 202   Imber-gres j. lb. price xij. d.
1541    T. Elyot Castel of Helthe <> (new ed.) 68   Confortatives of the Harte hotte..Ambergrise, etc.
1542    A. Borde Compend. Regyment Helth <> (1870) viii. 249   Perfumed with amber-degrece.
1576    G. Baker tr. C. Gesner Newe Jewell of Health <>  ii. f. 85   Adde both Muske and Amber greece.

A quick search in EEBO turns up the following recipe for 

Damaske parfume.
TAke fyne Muske foure gaynes, Cyuet two gray∣nes,  <>Ambergris, fine Sugre, of eche of them foure graynes, Bengewine a grayne, of fatte Storax ca∣lamita three graines, lignum Aloes twoo graines: beate them well into poulder, and putte all together in a litle parfuminge panne, powre into it as muche Rose wa∣ter, or the water of the flowres of Orenges, Citrons, and Lemons, all together, as will bee twoo fingers highe aboue the other drooges, in makinge vnder it a small fier that it maye not boyle, and when the water is consumed, you shall powre in other: and hauing con∣tinued thus doinge a certaine number of daies, you shall haue an excellent Sope. From The secretes of the reuerende Maister Alexis of Piemount 1558

A composition of Muske, Ciuet, and Ambergrise.
TAke a dragme and a half of good Amber, and bray it vppon a Porphyre stone with oyle of Iasemin, fyrst alone, and than a litle with Muske, as much as shall suffise. This doen, adde to it Damaske roses, and Bengewin, of ethe of them an vnce, Irios a dragme and a halfe: All these thinges beaten in poulder, and strayned or syfted, you shall braye with a dragme of Ci∣uette, vntil they be brought into the fourme and maner of an oynctment. This done, kepe it in a Horne, or ves∣sell of glasse well closed. From The secretes of the reuerende Maister Alexis of Piemount 1558

And it also appears in recipes there for sweet waters, powders, and licors.


To hit the mother load of mentions, one can run a proximity search under amber* and musk* since the two often appear together. Ambergris appears under a variety of spellings, ranging from ambergreece to amber-greace to just plain amber. There are 470 plus entries there. Among those mentions---

It actually turns up as amber grease or amber greace in several recipes for perfuming pomanders or gloves in the 1573 The Treasurie of commodious Conceits. 


Plat’s Delightes includes it—
6. Rosa-solis.

TAke of the hearbe Rosa-solis, gathered in Iuly one gallon,
pick out all the black moats from the leaues, dates halfe a pounde, Cinamon, Ginger, cloues, of each one ounce, graines half an ounce, fine sugar a pound and a halfe, red rose leaues, greene or dryed foure handfuls, steepe all these in a gal∣lon of good Aqua Composita in a glasse close stopped with waxe, during twentie daies, shake it wel together once euerie two daies. Your sugar must be powdred, your spices brused onely, or grosselie beaten, your dates cut in long sli∣ces the stones taken awaie. If you adde two or three graines of Amber greece, and as much muske in your glasse amongst the rest of the ingredientes, it will haue a pleasant smel. Some adde the gum amber with coral and pearl finely poudred, and fine leafe golde. Some vse to boyle Ferdinando bucke in Rosewater, till they haue purchased a faire deepe crimson colour, and when the same is cold,
they colour their Rosa-solis and Aqua Rube a therewith.

It was seemingly very popular in the Restoration. 
From the 1664 The Court & kitchin of Elizabeth, commonly called Joan Cromwel, the Marrow puddings call for "two grains of Ambergris”.

Digby’s Choice and experimented receipts in physick and chirurgery as also cordial and distilled waters and spirits, perfumes, and other curiosities from 1675 calls for it some 30 times.

And lastly since I have gone along into the Restoration, there’s this post

http://www.fourpoundsflour.com/the-history-dish-i-made-ambergris-ice-cream/ <http://www.fourpoundsflour.com/the-history-dish-i-made-ambergris-ice-cream/>. Which is based upon an early ice cream recipe that Ivan Day located.

http://foodhistorjottings.blogspot.com/2012/04/lady-anne-fanshawes-icy-cream.html

See also :  http://www.fourpoundsflour.com/origin-of-a-dish-vanilla-ice-cream/ <http://www.fourpoundsflour.com/origin-of-a-dish-vanilla-ice-cream/>


Johnnae