THE BREWSPAPER / WORLD’S OLDEST BEER

Carving found in Shaanxi, China revealed it is a 5,000 year old recipe for beer.

Although only one-tenth of the land in China is suitable for agriculture, they have used this land with the highest efficiency possible for more than 10 millennia.

China was the first to develop row-crop farming, irrigation control and the iron plow.  Contrary to what most people think, for much of their history, millet was a more important crop than rice.

Millet was being grown as early as 10,300 years ago in Northern China.  Its tolerance to drought and poor soils has made it a favored crop in Africa and Southeast Asia.  In the USA, millet is most frequently seen being sold as birdseed, but it is a versatile grain which was used to make the oldest noodles ever discovered, 4,000 year-old pasta from the Laija archaeological site, and the oldest liquid beer ever discovered, a millet and rice beer preserved inside a 3,000 year-old sealed bronze vessel from a Shang Dynasty tomb.

To learn true stuff about the roots of beer in the ancient world, San Diego Museum of Man’s current “Beerology” exhibit offers other intriguing beer centric stories, including ancient artifacts that reveal the links between beer and culture.

Craft beer has roots.  It reflects the foundations of civilization.

“Beerology,” The Exhibit is linked with occasional live beer pairings at the venerable Balboa Park museum (under the California Tower).   For info and beer tasting dates check in at http://www.museumofman.org/exhibits/beerology/

“Beerology” at the San Diego Museum of Man closes in February, 2017.

TRADITIONAL CHILLY WEATHER SOUP RECIPE

GUEST BLOG / By Mooch at North Park Nursery— This warm and hearty recipe features leeks and chives which can easily be grown in a pot outside or even indoors in a bright window. Leeks are a plant related to the onion, with flat overlapping leaves forming an elongated cylindrical bulb that together with the leaf bases is eaten as a vegetable.

Potato Leek Soup

1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 quart vegetable broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon minced chives

1. Chop the leeks into small pieces.

2. In a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the potatoes and the vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, buttermilk, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.

Potato Leek Soup, a recipe from the kitchen of North Park Nursery, San Diego, CA.

Source:

North Park Nursery

2335 University Avenue

San Diego CA 92104

619.795.1885

www.northparknursery.com