Almond Milk History  

Like its previous partners soymilk and rice milk, almond milk is prepared pretty much in the same manner by boiling almonds, blending them in a blender with water to a slurry consistency, and then straining the slurry through cheesecloth to obtain fresh almond milk. Many people add vanilla extract, and maple syrup or honey to give it a slightly sweetened flavor.

Unlike soymilk, almond milk has a history rich and long as a desirable and delicious food and drink. Of course, it wasn’t as easily prepared then as today, for in the Medieval days blenders were not at hand to create a consistent creamy slurry. Medieval European recipes often relied on almond milk for flavor. In the Middle East, almond milk is now and for centuries has been an admired drink.

Because milk from cows, sheep, and goats went bitter after a short time and, as a result, was almost immediately made into cheese or butter, almond milk was especially favored in the Middle Ages as it held up longer and better than dairy milk. Almond milk was readily accessible when needed because of its stability and the process in which it was prepared. Almonds were easily stored and did not require extreme temperatures to stretch out the life of freshness; therefore, it was more reliable a milk than dairy milk.

Almond milk is high in protein, as high as milk, and almond milk has extremely low amounts of saturated fat, no lactose, and is lower in carbohydrates. Almonds are a great source of Vitamin E. That being said, if one wanted the total benefits from almonds, they are best taken raw and eaten; however, nuts can be hard on a digestive system, and when that is the case, almond milk is a sure bet to garner its benefits. Prepackaged almond milk that is sold in stores, like any nut seed milk, loses some of its nutritional value in the making process. It is best homemade, if that can be done. If not, the option of buying it is still a very good one.

Almond milk is used in countless recipes in Turkish and Indian dishes and is increasingly used in delicious recipes in the Western world. Almond milk is vegan and in many cultures this is a necessity for cooking at certain times of the year, especially during religious fasts when animal milk is forbidden. It is just this reason, the almond being a nut that is the seed of a plant, that almond milk was consumed during Lent in the Middle Ages both in Christendom and the Islamic culture.