On 2008-08-21 11:43, Sparkle Mark wrote:
I would have to disagree with you about the addition of bitter almond extract or essential oil. We do not have access to bitter almonds, and traditional Orgeat according to the Grocer's Encyclopedia is made from 10 parts sweet almonds and 3 parts bitter, so I would argue that the addition of bitter almond flavoring would not be out of bounds in making a traditional orgeat. I don't think anyone has actually made Orgeat from barley for a while.

On 2008-08-21 12:12, The Gnomon wrote:

Quote:

On 2008-08-21 11:43, Sparkle Mark wrote: I would have to disagree with you about the addition of bitter almond extract or essential oil. We do not have access to bitter almonds, and traditional Orgeat according to the Grocer's Encyclopedia is made from 10 parts sweet almonds and 3 parts bitter, so I would argue that the addition of bitter almond flavoring would not be out of bounds in making a traditional orgeat. I don't think anyone has actually made Orgeat from barley for a while.

Hmmm! I might have to rethink the bitter almond component at this point. That would justify the use of almond extract considering it is the only readily available source of bitter almond flavoring.

On 2008-09-02 10:57, Sparkle Mark wrote:
You can get great rose water and orange blossom water at any Persian grocery or decent pan-Middle Eastern store. Since it is frequently used in Persian cuisine the bottles are about 2x as big and it's about half the cost of the typical stuff you can find in Bevmo or goourmet boutiques.

If you want some commercial orgeats to compare against I really like these:

http://www.ditalia.com/product/Toschi_Almond_Orzata_Syrup/Beverages

http://www.torani.com/flavor/orgeat_almond_syrup

Best
Mark

On 2008-09-05 17:49, Sparkle Mark wrote:
Torani Almond is not the same as Torani Orgeat.
The almond flavor Torani is a sweet almond flavor and is probably meant for coffee drinks etc..

In regards to Almond exctracts you must make sure that your almond exttract is made from bitter almonds, many of the organic extracts are not made from bitter almond and have a distinctively differnt taste. Plain old McCormacks works.
Better yet see about obtaining Oil of Bitter Almond, that's what they "water down" with alcohol to make the extract.

Best
Mark

On 2010-05-18 06:27, seabass wrote:
How is this version?

...I couldn't find orange flower water but will add when I can find it.

On 2007-10-08 08:32, KuKuAhu wrote:
Well.. I am certainly excited to see where this thread has gone. Lots of great work being done on this subject. Hopefully folks will see that commercial orgeat is truly terrible stuff by comparison to homemade.

One note I'd like to make here:

I don't agree that extracts are a mere attempt at a fix. We must remember that we are trying to create a useful recipe for the home bartender, and the palate that exists within the populace for orgeat is one that has been trained by commercial brands.

So at least for myself, I am looking for a suitable substitute for the store bought junk that uses better ingredients, and approximates the flavor of the popular versions, but without the plastic tones and the corn syrup mouth feel.

If you use an organic extract, coupled with a hint of store bought almond milk, I think you will have the best possible compromise. To milk the ground almonds is a tedious task that most simply will never bother with. And of those who do try it once, most will never bother again.

I question whether the orgeat that Vic used for the Mai Tai was made without almond extract. I would remind everyone that it is possible to go too far back when it comes to cocktails from the tiki era. (see the falernum argument)

So if we are seeking an orgeat that would be true to the kitchen of a circa 1800s french country estate, then our recipe would likely differ from what we seek to recreate from Vic's 1940s bar.

And I found that orgeat was often made from barley as well. It might have been the original version.

It pays to make the pure form from the ground up (pun intended) with almonds.. this gives you the palate and perspective of extremes, but to me it pays to seek the useful balance in between.

I do not grind pommegranates for grenadine anymore either, as commericial pure pomm concentrates make real grenadine such a snap to create. Sure, the roots form does have a solid tannic kick to it that the concentrates lack, but I'll bet that tannin was not part of the equation in most drinks that utilize it.

Great work folks, I'd love to pow wow with all of you in a kitchen some time.




Ahu

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Fraternal Order of Moai

[ This Message was edited by: KuKuAhu 2007-10-08 08:33 ]

[ This Message was edited by: KuKuAhu 2007-10-08 08:34 ]

On 2010-05-18 10:57, Sparkle Mark wrote:
I would just buy commercial Orgeat, there are plenty out there that use nice cane sugar.