The Hymn to Ninkasi - Making Beer

The Hymn to Ninkasi, inscribed on a nineteenth-century B.C. tablet, contains a recipe for Sumerian beer. Ninkasi was the ancient Sumerian matron goddess of beer. I would definitely worship her :-) She is the goddess of alcohol. She was also borne of "sparkling fresh water." She is the goddess made to "satisfy the desire" and "sate the heart." This is the oldest known beer recipie in the world.

Translation by Miguel Civil

Borne of the flowing water (...)
Tenderly cared for by the Ninhursag,
Borne of the flowing water (...)
Tenderly cared for by the Ninhursag,

Having founded your town by the sacred lake,
She finished its great walls for you,
Ninkasi, having founded your town by the sacred lake,
She finished its great walls for you

Your father is Enki, Lord Nidimmud,
Your mother is Ninti, the queen of the sacred lake,
Ninkasi, Your father is Enki, Lord Nidimmud,
Your mother is Ninti, the queen of the sacred lake.

You are the one who handles the dough,
[and] with a big shovel,
Mixing in a pit, the bappir with sweet aromatics,
Ninkasi, You are the one who handles
the dough, [and] with a big shovel,
Mixing in a pit, the bappir with [date]-honey.

You are the one who bakes the bappir
in the big oven,
Puts in order the piles of hulled grains,
Ninkasi, you are the one who bakes
the bappir in the big oven,
Puts in order the piles of hulled grains,

You are the one who waters the malt
set on the ground,
The noble dogs keep away even the potentates,
Ninkasi, you are the one who waters the malt
set on the ground,
The noble dogs keep away even the potentates.

You are the one who soaks the malt in a jar
The waves rise, the waves fall.
Ninkasi, you are the one who soaks
the malt in a jar
The waves rise, the waves fall.

You are the one who spreads the cooked
mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes.
Ninkasi, you are the one who spreads
the cooked mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes.

You are the one who holds with both hands
the great sweet wort,
Brewing [it] with honey and wine
(You the sweet wort to the vessel)
Ninkasi, (...)
(You the sweet wort to the vessel)

The filtering vat, which makes
a pleasant sound,
You place appropriately on [top of]
a large collector vat.
Ninkasi, the filtering vat,
which makes a pleasant sound,
You place appropriately on [top of]
a large collector vat.

When you pour out the filtered beer
of the collector vat,
It is [like] the onrush of
Tigris and Euphrates.
Ninkasi, you are the one who pours out the
filtered beer of the collector vat,
It is [like] the onrush of
Tigris and Euphrates.

Danish hops are growing again

Scientists from Aarhus University is working in making Danish beer even more Danish.

Beer is experiencing a renaissance in Denmark and there a lot of new breweries has been created. Even though the beer has been produced in Denmark, the hops have been imported over the last century. In other words does Danish beer not have a unique Danish hop flavour.

says Senior Advisor Gitte Kjeldsen from The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at University of Aarhus (DJF).

The scientists at DJF wants to make Danish beer Danish again. Apparently a beer with Czech hops is not danish enough. The aim is to work with Danish brewers in compiling a selection of hops plants that can be used for brewing.

Right now the scientists are documenting the gathered hop plants form all over Denmark. They are comparing the plants with known foreign hops as to resistance to fungi attracts, aroma, bitterness and requirements for growing them. They want to make the production one hundred percent organic.

The project is called "Recreate the foundation of hop production in Denmark with unique Danish flavour and aroma" and danish readers can read more on www.danskhumle.dk.

An interesting point is that both the smallest breweries (Fuglebjerggaard) and the biggest breweries (Carlsberg) are working together on this project.

Is you are in Denmark you too can participate actively by collecting hop plants.

Beer just may fight disease - for hopheads only

"Mmmm … beer." As popular as beer is, however, it often has gotten a bad rap as a calorie-loaded beverage that only serves to create paunchy beer bellies and alcohol-fueled lapses in judgment. But beer has less calories than most types of milk.

But that negative image may begin to fade. Recent research shows an indication that beer could be used as a possible disease-fighter.

It turns out that beer hops contain a unique micronutrient that inhibits cancer-causing enzymes. Hops are plants used in beer to give it aroma, flavor and bitterness.

The compound, xanthohumol, was first isolated by researchers with Oregon State University 10 years ago. Initial testing was promising, and now an increasing number of laboratories across the world have begun studying the compound, said Fred Stevens, an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at Oregon State's College of Pharmacy.

Earlier this year, a German research journal even devoted an entire issue to xanthohumol, he said.

What Stevens and others are discovering is that xanthohumol has several unique effects. Along with inhibiting tumor growth and other enzymes that activate cancer cells, it also helps the body make unhealthy compounds more water-soluble, so they can be excreted.

Most beers made today are way too low on hops, however, and so don't contain much xanthohumol. Here's to hop-heads and your health!

Source: ABCnews

Smag verdens ældste øl

På Ølfabrikken i Tisvildeleje har Christian og Co. genskabt en øl ud fra en 4000 år gammel opskrift.

I 1930’erne fandt man nogle ældgamle Sumeriske lertavler, der ved nærmere granskning viste sig at indeholde en detaljeret opskrift på øl. Opskriften er navngivet ”Hymne til Ninkasi” og beskriver i detaljer hvordan man forarbejdede bygkorn, honning og dadler til en naturligt gæret drik.

Christian Skovdal Andersen, fortæller om projektet :”Det var vigtigt for mig at resultatet skulle fremstå så autentisk som muligt. Da vi bryggede øllet, fulgte vi så vidt muligt den oprindelige opskrift slavisk – selv når det stred mod nutidig brygvisdom.”

Smagen af det ældgamle øl beskrives som en blanding mellem øl og vin med en snert af røg.

Øllen kan smages gratis på Ølbaren, Elmegade 2, 2200 København N hele weekenden fra torsdag d. 15/6 kl. 19.00 til og med lørdag d. 17/6 eller indtil der ikke er mere.

http://www.olfabrikken.dk/ninkasi