Orgeat syrup????

Hi
orgeat syrup is a almond licor uncolored and almond smell ? or is a little creamy?

On 2004-04-20 05:41, marcoslive wrote:
Hi
orgeat syrup is a almond licor uncolored and almond smell ? or is a little creamy?

The only orgeats I've ever seen or used have been creamy in colour.

.

One more question....
orgeat=almond ???
Are they the same thing?

Orgeat is "Almond Syrup".

[ Edited by: MachTiki on 2004-04-23 11:02 ]

So orgeat syrup is different to creme of almond, doesn't it?

Orgeat is a sweetener--no alcohol in it. It is a blend of almond extracts and orange flavoring in a sugary syrup. The only good brand I've ever had is Trader Vic's (does anybody know of any other kind that's any good?)

I've heard of other people using Amaretto in a Mai Tai, though I've never tried that. Seems like it would throw off the booze content. Interesting thing about Amaretto--a common misconception is that is made with almonds. It is not, it's made with peach pits. Peach pits are also used to make artificial almond flavoring--I think they share some common chemicals. Orgeat is actually made from almonds.

Amaretto is not a good substitute for orgeat or almond syrup in an original Mai Tai! Amaretto doesn't taste like orgeat (compared side by side). It's made from apricot pits. From the Disaronno company web site:

Italian amaretto liqueur made of the pure essence of 17 hand selected herbs and fruits soaked in apricot kernel oil.

You can use it in a Mai Tai, but it won't taste like the real thing.

To return to the original question, Orgeat turns white if refrigerated as it will separate, and it's hard to get it back to the original consistency.

Marcoslive,

Invite me to Spain, i'll bring you tons of Orgeat Syrup (plenty and inexpensive here in France)...

This should do the trick...

http://www.flavoredsyrups.net/torani-Orgeat-almond.htm

There are numerous producers of Orgeat, Marcoslive, and of those I've tried they are all acceptable. Those include Trader Vic's, Monin, Torani and Fee Brothers. All of these companies have websites.
Orgeat is different from both Amaretto and regular Almond syrup as it has a citrus quality. It is always a creamy white in color. It is used heavily as a flavoring/sweetening additive for coffee and can ususally be found in coffee shops here in the States (the most common in those establishments being Torani and Monin).

On 2004-04-20 14:00, virani wrote:
Marcoslive,

Invite me to Spain, i'll bring you tons of Orgeat Syrup (plenty and inexpensive here in France)...

France is the home of syrups. Visit anywhere from a vast hypermarket to a corner shop and there will be an eye-popping range. (Both of brands and of flavours).

Virani, I've always wondered why there are so many syrups on offer. Do the French consume insane amounts of cocktails or are these syrups put to other uses? Is it added to water to make drinks for the kids or something?

Trader Woody

My favourite Orgeat syrup is by far Philbert Routin 1883 from France. The flavour is incredible. I find myself using it in all sorts of things just to get a taste of it. They're available here in coffee shops, but I'm not sure about the US. I also have a Passionfruit Syrup by them, but I haven't experimented too much with it yet. Oscar's isn't bad, very similar to Torani. I use them in coffee and tea related drinks, but probably wouldn't use them in cocktails unless I was out of my 1883.

On 2004-04-21 01:50, Trader Woody wrote:

Virani, I've always wondered why there are so many syrups on offer. Do the French consume insane amounts of cocktails or are these syrups put to other uses? Is it added to water to make drinks for the kids or something?

Trader Woody

Well, yes, the french love to use syrup simply with tap water, or sparkling water or even milk.
Orgeat syrup is not very popular to kids but is still very use by elder, simply with water, or using it in food recipe (cakes, cream...)
We also drink a lot of grenadine syrup or lemon, strawberry... with water, milk, beer (very good), or even "pastis" wich is the common anise liquor that we drink a lot.

mmm... pasties...

j$

Yes, almonds and apricots are very close relatives, as are peaches.

Crack open an apricot pit and you'll see a little "proto-almond" inside. Do not eat it.

Almonds have a furry husk, just no sweet meat.

I also don't care for Creme de Noyeaux, which tastes very artificial to me. I think I disagree with the Jab on this point.

*On 2004-04-21 14:36, martiki wrote:*I also don't care for Creme de Noyeaux, which tastes very artificial to me. I think I disagree with the Jab on this point.

Maybe we do agree - I wouldn't use it in a Mai Tai either, but I do in my Knockout Punch. Perhaps it's the cheap stuff that tastes artificial. We should try to get some of the real thing from France.

On 2004-04-21 14:36, martiki wrote:
Crack open an apricot pit and you'll see a little "proto-almond" inside. Do not eat it.

I DARE you to eat it! :lol:

YOU WILL GROW AN APRICOT TREE IN YOUR STOMACH!!!!

I hear that Creme de Noyeaux from France is as different from the domestic liqueur as Velvet Falernum from Barbados is from the domestic syrup. :wink:

On 2004-04-21 14:56, martiki wrote:
YOU WILL GROW AN APRICOT TREE IN YOUR STOMACH!!!!

I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU! :D

From http://www.apricotpower.com

"Three of the signs of toxicity from too many apricot kernels are dizziness, blurred vision, and nausea. "

And I thought it was drinking too much!

Only John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum is made with real apricot pits. It creates the dizziness and blurred vision that Don The Beachcomber preferred in his drinks.

You know, it never ceases to amaze me the varied ingredients man has used to make liqueurs - fruits, nuts, herbs, whatever.

"Hey Roger, toss me a couple of those used tampons and that corn mash to see what we can come up with here..."

Like I always say, "Tampons and corn mash perfect together!"

Corn mash Bourbon Bloody Mary's !!

you know what is really sad...we supposedly live in the almond capital of the world (ripon) and yet, we cannot find any freaking almond syrup in order to make a decent mai tai. oh the travesty!

:(

On 2004-04-21 22:47, tikicleen wrote:
you know what is really sad...we supposedly live in the almond capital of the world (ripon) and yet, we cannot find any freaking almond syrup in order to make a decent mai tai. oh the travesty!

:(

BevMo will be open soon in Modesto - fear not!

Amaretto can be used as an alcoholic substitute if you are REALLY finding it difficult to get orgeat. Of course, that makes whatever you were going to have into a different (and stronger) drink, but it'll give you an idea of how the original would have tasted.

And doesn't cyanide come from the little 'almond' within peach pits?

Trader Woody

And...can't you just make a reasonable facisimile of orgeat by making simple syrup and adding almond extract? (haven't tried it)

On 2004-04-21 16:40, Tiki_Bong wrote:
You know, it never ceases to amaze me the varied ingredients man has used to make liqueurs - fruits, nuts, herbs, whatever.

i always understood it that liqueurs were the natural result of alchemy and homeopathic medicine in the middle ages - how fitting, eh!

On 2004-04-22 02:33, Trader Woody wrote:
And doesn't cyanide come from the little 'almond' within peach pits?

I thought it was arsenic..or maybe that comes from apple seeds...I dunno.

But I DO know that I have a big almond tree in my front yard.

Messy things almonds...look like peaches...all fuzzy and such but you can't get the almonds out until the fruits split open in the fall, expelling them all over the ground...along with copious amounts of sticky goo.

The other thing about fresh almonds is that they're hard as heck to crack. A pair of pliers and a navy chap couldn't crack two dozen without getting blisters! I must have to roast them first.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Has anyone tried making anything such as orgeat out of almonds? I'd love to know what to do with them, other than baking.
Mahalo,

It contains hydrogen cyanide deadly poision 15 of them will kill a man, deadly poison i tell ya!

http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/h1/hydrogn-cy.asp

I finally found Monin today, so I'll be blind taste testing it against Torani and Vic's. Results to follow....

I just bought a bottle of Monin last weekend, you should have seen the look on the barista's face when I asked to see the bottle of Orgeat behind the counter! He thought I asked for an orgy.

It's not as good as the Philbert Routin 1883 from France, but it's not bad. I probably won't be able to tell the difference after a couple anyway. :)

Martiki, I'd love to hear how it compares with Torani and Vic's.

Q: Where's the Orgeat?

A: Where there's Monin.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

giggle

good one jab

On 2004-04-22 12:20, Tikiwahine wrote:
I thought it was arsenic..or maybe that comes from apple seeds...I dunno.

Cyanide is found in apple pips, from what I understand. I only know about this because of an English woman who drank 20 pints of scrumpy cider (brutally strong in alcohol terms, quite unlike American cider) per day and then (perhaps unsurprisingly) went blind. They attributed her blindness to the minute quantities of cyanide from the pips in every pint of cider.

Trader Woody

Wow, that's a lot of cider!

I just found this info:

The good news: apple seeds do not contain arsenic. The bad news: apple seeds DO contain cyanide. Grinding apples and pressing them for cider(North American I'm sure) doesn't release enough cyanide to be a problem; neither does cooking apples and straining them to make a sauce. About the only way you can actually ruin into a problem with the toxicity of apple seeds is if you save the seeds from about a bushel of apples and eat them all at once.
-TW

Only John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum is made with real apricot pits. It creates the dizziness and blurred vision that Don The Beachcomber preferred in his drinks.

I bet that is why Howard Huges used to run over pedestrains on his way home from Don's place.

On 2004-04-22 14:44, martiki wrote:
I finally found Monin today, so I'll be blind taste testing it against Torani and Vic's. Results to follow....

Well, the results are in.

Here it is: It's hard to drink orgeat straight! eww!

But seriously, it's like night and day.

Vic's smells of soap and tastes like pure chemicals.

Torani is much nicer, but with some artificial notes. Flavor is still decent. The color is also different from the other two, less yellow-creamy, and more cloudy blue-white. Of course, all three look like...well, you know what it looks like.

The Monin is excellent. Richer, smoother and more natural in taste than the others. Definitely the clear winner.

BUT!

Torani and Vic's: $4.75
Monin: $12.50

So my feeling is, if I can find it, if there's some around the house, great- I'll use the Monin. But Torani is definitely acceptable and a third the price.

So come over to the Grotto for drinks while there's Monin in the house!

(that sounded dirty)

I was looking for a source of Falernum and I found it at DaVinci Syrups in Seattle.
http://www.davincigourmet.com
They specialize in making syrups for coffee bars and their product is a little thinner in vicosity than say Trader Vic's brand of syrup. But they carry some wild flavors.
Tikiboy

has anyone tried a homemade version of Orgeat? I didn't find any recipies on Google or Food TV, but I'd assume it'd be simple syrup, almond essence & orange/orange blossom water. Maybe it'd be better to boil the simple syrup with crushed almonds & then add the orange/orange blossom water?

It's one thing to do a taste-test of orgeat straight, it's entirely another to try it in a drink. From my experience, the Vic's syrup tasted far superior in a Mai Tai to the Torani, and I have not tried the Monin. I found the Torani to be overpowering and artificial-tasting, and it doesn't "play nice" with the other flavors (in other words it doesn't blend well).

My recommendation would still be the Vic's (although you do need to use it fresh--if it sits awhile it gets pretty rank.)

As far as making Orgeat--I think almond extract and orange extract would be the things to add to the sugar syrup. (or Almond oil and orange oil, although you would only need a couple drops of those.) I don't know what makes the cloudy white appearance.

Avoid the temptation to get the DaVinci Falernum. It's wayyy too sweet and phony tasting, and has no alcohol base like real falernum.

I have a small pocket sized publication titled 'The Art of Mixing Drinks - Helpful Hints for the Hostess' (1935, 5th printing 1956) that has a recipe for Orgeat Syrup, which I will reproduce here.

It is perhaps the most complicated sounding recipe I have ever seen, presented in one big paragraph of the tiniest font possibly ever used in a cookbook.

Orgeat (or Almond) Syrup

2 pounds of sweet almonds
3.5 ounces of bitter almonds
3 pints of fresh water
6 to 6.5 pounds of sugar.

Drop the almonds (sweet and bitter) in boiling water. This blanches them, and they are easily skinned. Having skinned them, drop them in cold water, in which wash them; when ready put them into a clean mortar (one of marble is better than bronz), and mash them; next, squeeze in the juice of two lemons, or add a little acid, and, as you pound the almonds, pour part of a pint of clear water into the mortar; mash throughly, until the mixture looks like thick milk, and no pieces of almond are left; then add another pint of the spring water. Now squeeze the white mash through a hair-cloth, or other good strainer; a common plan is to have a large strainer held by two persons; as they twist the milk may be cuaght in a clean basin; whatever of the almonds is left in the cloth put back into the mortar, and mash it over again, adding a little of the spring water; then strain it, and mix it with sugar which must first be boiled and clarified. While adding the almond milk let the pan of hot sugar be off the fire; when mixed boil a little more, then remove and stir until cold; pour in a small portion of the tincture of orange flowers, or the least drop of the essence of neroly, and pass the mixture again through a cloth; give the bottles an occassional shake for a few days afterward; it will keep the syrup for parting.

I can now better understand why rum and cokes became so popular.

Vern

Vern - thanks for the recipe (not that I'm gonna try this anytime soon, but very interesting).

Martiki - $12.50 for Monin? I get them here at about $5.50 (well, at least the passion fruit syrup is $5.50).
Do you want me to get you a couple and bring them to the Oasis?
I was contemplating doing a taste test in drinks (I use Vic's now, but have a Monin). Maybe I'll bring both and we can do a little test in a drink.
One thing I noticed about the Monin, is that the Orgeat is so strong, I have to use less of it, otherwise it overpowers the drink.

Ran

Monnin Passion Frut Syrup is the best!!!. Makes a great lapu lapu.
Mahalo,
Al

The "Almond syrup" from my local "international foodstore" is as good as Vic's if not better($3). I will have to try the other 2 mentioned.