Blancmange

Blancmange(/bləˈmɒnʒ/,fromFrench:blanc-manger[blɑ̃mɑ̃ʒe],lit.'white eat') is a sweetdessertpopular throughoutEuropecommonly made withmilkorcreamandsugar, thickened withrice flour,gelatin,corn starch, orIrish moss(a source ofcarrageenan), and often flavoured withalmonds.
It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given other colours.
Blancmange originated at some time during theMiddle Agesfrom the older Middle Easternmuhallebi,and usually consisted of milk oralmond milk, rice, and sugar;it was considered to be an ideal food for the sick.
Similar desserts includeBavarian cream,Italianpanna cotta,TurkishTavuk göğsü,Brazilian cuisinemanjar brancoChinesealmond tofu,Hawai'ianhaupiaandPuerto Ricantembleque.
The origins of the blancmange have long been believed to lie in the introduction of rice and almonds in early medieval Europe by Arab traders.Recently, it has been shown that there have been similar Arab dishes from that period such as muhallebi.Muhallebi or another similar dish from the medievalIslamic world, spread to Europe first asblanc-mangerin France later translated tobiancomangiarein Italy andmanjar blancoin Spain.Additionally, related or similar dishes have existed in other areas of Europe under other names, such as the 13th-century Danishhwit moos("white mush"), and the Anglo-Normanblanc desirree("white dish"); Dutchcalijs(from Latincolare, "to strain") was known in English ascullisand in French ascoulis, and was based on cooked and then strained poultry. The oldest recipe for blancmange is from the oldest extant Danish cookbook, written byHenrik Harpestræng, who died in 1244, which dates it to the early 13th century at the latest. The work may be a translation of a German cookbook, which is believed to have been based on a Latin or Romance vernacular manuscript from the 12th century or even earlier.
The "whitedish" (from the originalOld Frenchtermblanc manger) was a dish consumed by the upper-classes and common to most ofEuropeduring the Middle Ages and early modern period. It occurs in countless variations from recipe collections from all over Europe and was one of the few truly international dishes of medieval and early modern Europe. It is mentioned in the prologue toGeoffrey Chaucer'sCanterbury Talesand in an early 15th-century cookbook written by the chefs ofRichard II.The basic ingredients were milk oralmond milk, sugar, and shreddedchicken(usuallycapon) or fish, often combined withrosewaterand rice flour, and mixed into a blandstew. Almond milk and fish were used as substitutes for the other animal products onfastdays andLent.It was also often flavoured with spices such as saffron or cinnamon and the chicken could be exchanged for other fowl, such asquailorpartridge. Spices were often used in recipes of the later Middle Ages since they were considered prestigious.
On festive occasions and among the upper classes, whitedishes were often rendered more festive by colouring agents: the reddish-golden yellow ofsaffron; green with variousherbs; orsandalwoodforrusset. In 14th-century France, parti-colouring (the use of two bright contrasting colours on the same plate) was especially popular and was described byGuillaume Tirel(also known asTaillevent), one of the primary authors of the later editions ofLe Viandier. The brightly coloured whitedishes were one of the most common of the earlyentremets: edibles that were intended to entertain and delight through a gaudy appearance as much as through flavour.
In the 17th century (1666), thedurianfruit was compared to blanc-mangé by Alexandre de Rhodes:
In the 17th century, the whitedish evolved into a meatless dessertpuddingwith cream and eggs, and later,gelatin. In the 19th century,arrowrootandcornflourwere added, and the dish evolved into the modern blancmange.
The word blancmange derives from Old Frenchblanc mangier. The name "whitedish" is a modern term used by some historians, though the name historically was either a direct translation from or acalqueof the Old French term. Many different local or regional terms were used for the dish in the Middle Ages as translations of  the French term:
Though it is fairly certain that the etymology is indeed "white dish", medieval sources are not always consistent as to the actual colour of the dish. Food scholar Terence Scully has proposed the alternative etymology ofbland mangier, "bland dish", reflecting its often mild and "dainty" (in this context meaning refined and aristocratic) taste and popularity as a dish for the sick.