Ptasie mleczko

Ptasie mleczko(Polish:[ˈptaɕɛˈmlɛt͡ʂkɔ]) orbird's milkis aCentral Europeanconfectioneryoriginating inPoland. It is a small,chocolate-coveredbarwith a soft marshmallow-like interior.
E. Wedelis one of the most recognized chocolate confectioneries inPoland, having exclusive rights for the namePtasie mleczko. Other confectionery producers also make similar candies named differently (e.g.,Alpejskie mleczko, "Alpine milk"). Nonetheless,Ptasie mleczkois often used to refer to similar candies with vanilla, cream, lemon or chocolate flavour.
InRussia, ptichye moloko(птичье молоко) is both a popular candy and a famous soufflé cake. The brand was introduced in the 1960s during the Soviet era, and continues to be used by companies operating the factories which produced these candies and cakes since that time. The confectionery is also produced in otherpost-Soviet states.
The concept of avian milk (Ancient Greek:ὀρνίθων γάλα,ornithon gala) stretches back to ancient Greece.Aristophanesuses "the milk of the birds" in the playsThe BirdsandThe Waspsas a proverbial rarity. The expression is also found inStrabo'sGeographicawhere the island ofSamosis described as ablest country,to whichthose who praise it do not hesitate to apply the proverb that "it produces even bird's milk" (φέρει καί ὀρνίθων γάλα).A similar expressionlac gallinaceum(Latinfor "chicken's milk") was also later used byPetronius(38.1) andPliny the Elder(Plin.Nat.pr. 24) as a term for something of great rarity. The idiom later became common in many languages and appeared inSlavicfolk tales.In one such tale, the beautiful princess tests the ardor and resourcefulness of her suitor by sending him out into the wilderness to find and bring back the one fantastical luxury she does not have: bird's milk.In the fairy taleLittle HarebyAleksey Remizov(who wrote many imitations of traditional Slavic folk tales), the magic birdGaganaproduces milk.
Whether any of these authors were aware ofcrop milkfrom some species of birds is unknown.
Bird's milk was first created in 1936 in Poland byJan Wedel[pl], owner of theE. Wedel Company.According to the company's official history, Wedel's inspiration for the name of the confectionery came from his voyages to France, when he asked himself: "What could bring greater happiness to a man who already has everything?" Then he thought: "Maybe only bird milk."
In Russia,ptichye molokowas originally a type of confectionery introduced in 1967 inVladivostokand in 1968 by theRot Frontfactory inMoscow. It became a hit, and mass production was started in 1975 by theKrasny Oktyabrconfectionery factory in Moscow.
In Estonia,linnupiim(also "bird's milk" inEstonian) is the brand name of a similar candy made by theKalev candy factory.This candy also uses agar-agar instead of gelatin as a thickening agent and comes in three flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and lemon. In 2021, a special edition with grapefruit flavor was produced.
In Moldova,lapte de pasăre(also "bird's milk" inRomanian) is the brand name of a similar candy made by the Bucuria candy factory.Despite the name, the candy is not to be confused with theRomaniantraditional dessertlapte de pasăre.
In 1978, the popular candy was transformed into a cake by Vladimir Guralnik in Moscow's Praga Restaurant.This was a light sponge cake filled with an airy soufflé and topped with chocolate glaze. A distinct feature of the Russian recipe is the usage ofagar-agarinstead ofgelatinas athickening agent, which withstands the high temperature needed to melt down sugar into a syrup.Initially, the restaurant produced trial batches of 20-30 cakes, but after six months the daily output was increased to 500 cakes.The recipe was quickly copied by other restaurants in Moscow, such as Moskva, Budapesht, and Ukraina.In the 1980s, a special factory for Bird's milk cakes was built in theNovye Cheryomushky districtin the south of Moscow.Both the cake and the candy versions of the bird's milk are widely available to this date in supermarkets and specialty stores all over Russia.
Lapte de pasăre,Ptasie Mleczko,Ptiche moloko, andVogelmilchare registeredtrademarksin the EU.
In Russia,Птичье молокоis a registered trademark ofRot Front, a member ofUnited Confectioners. Other companies have been sued for using the name, even if they had used it in the Soviet Union.