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Bircher's Miracle: Muesli

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TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
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    Posted: 03 October 2018 at 12:16
How do you do Muesli?

From James Michener's The Drifters (1971):

Originally posted by James Michener James Michener wrote:

When I unpacked my bags I found the four large boxes of Bircher muesli I had brought with me. They would last about 4 weeks if I rationed myself prudently, and at the end f that regimen I would be back in condition, for there is no better breakfast in the world than muesli. To have a dish of it with cold milk and slices of juicy Valencia orange is the best possible way to start the day; after a long spell of eating greasy Afghan food or heavy American, I take muesli not only for breakfast, but for lunch as well. I eat a small dinner at night and in no time I'm back in shape. My weight has kept at about 170 since I moved to Switzerland, and much of the credit for this goes to muesli.

What is it? A combination of roasted whole wheat and millet mixed with shredded dried apples, apricots, raisins, hazelnuts and almonds, the principle ingredient being un-milled oat flakes. I get hungry thinking about it and thank the Swiss doctor who invented it. In my Spanish penthouse I poured myself a dish, had it for lunch, then lay down for a nap....

On my self-enforced diet of Bircher muesli, I lost weight, restored my energy, and felt ravenously hungry every afternoon at four o'clock. While Greeks were agonizing over what figure they would accept for their skyscrapers, I agonized over which of the Torremolinos restaurants to patronize that night. Because of its international clientele the town had a plethora of good places....


For those who are not familiar with Muesli, here is a brief introduction, from Wikipedia:

Originally posted by Wikipedia Wikipedia wrote:

Muesli (Swiss German: Müesli, non-Swiss Standard German: Müsli is a breakfast and brunch dish based on raw rolled oats and other ingredients like grains, fresh or dried fruits, seeds and nuts, that may be mixed with [milk].... Originally known in Swiss German as Birchermüesli or simply Müesli, the word is an Alemannic diminutive of Mues which means "puree" or "mash-up."

Muesli was introduced around 1900 by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital, where a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables was an essential part of therapy. It was inspired by a similar "strange dish" that he and his wife had been served on a hike in the Swiss Alps. Bircher-Benner himself referred to the dish simply as d'Spys (Swiss German for "the dish", in German die Speise). Muesli in its modern form became popular in Western countries starting in the 1960s as part of increased interest in health food....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muesli


I've always been interested in this health-conscious morning meal; however, I've never actually tried it. When looking into the subject, it was amazing how many "original recipes" there are out there. Luckily, a blogger who calls herself "The Old Foodie" found a source that is close to primary as one could hope for: a book written by Bircher-Benner himself - published in 1926 - containing a recipe for Bircher Muelsi:

Quote The recipe given is the portion for one person....

1. Apples. Two or three small apples or one large one. Clean them by rubbing with a dry cloth. Do not take away the skin, core, or pips.

2. Nuts. Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds – one tablespoonful.

3. Rolled Oats. A level tablespoonful previously soaked in 3 tablespoonfuls of water for 12 hours.

4. Lemon Juice. The juice of half a lemon

5. Top milk (T.T) and honey or sweet condensed milk (Nestlé’s) One tablespoonful.

Preparation:

First mix condensed milk (or top milk and honey) and juice of lemon with soaked rolled oats. Then grate the apples including the skin, core, and pips vigorously into the mixture on a two-way grater, and whilst doing so, stir continually. In this way the apple pulp is covered by the mixture and thus is prevented from getting brown in contact with the air. It looks white and appetizing. The dish should be prepared immediately before being put on the table. The grated nuts or almonds (1 tablespoonful) which are sprinkled over the dish increase the protein content and fat. The dish is served fresh, before anything else, and is not intended as a dessert. The fact that it is cold is never harmful as long as the muesli is well chewed and thus sufficiently warmed in the mouth. For those of a nervous disposition it may be warmed, but not above 95o F, as its nutritive value would be impaired.

This dish is especially suitable as a wholesome breakfast and supper for children from the age of two, for sick people with digestive disorders and for healthy people who wish to remain healthy.

1926: M. O. Bircher-Benner & M. E. Bircher Fruit Dishes & Raw Vegetables iv. 29

http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2014/12/the-original-bircher-muesli.html


It might seem like quite a process, but there it is.

As far as finding a pre-packaged version Muesli, I've been able to find many products, but none that I can see appear to be very close to the original version; they all seem to have quite a few things added, and seem to me to remove the product far and away from what was originally intended. I did find one product that appears somewhat similar to what Michener describes; it is from a company called Familia and can be found here:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Familia-Swiss-Muesli-Original-12-oz/31019488

A no-added-sugar variety of the same product can be found her (use search bar):

https://www.evitamins.com/familia-swiss-muesli-52828

(Note: Clicking on (good) and buying through (better) the links above helps this forum pay for itself! )

If anyone knows of or finds a pre-packaged product that comes closer to the original - or even Michener's version - please do post it here.

Sooner or later I'll give this a try; it looks like a good, healthy breakfast that can be part of a balanced diet and help one stay on a good dietary path.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 October 2018 at 09:11
Unfortunately, Ron, like "granola," "muesli" has become sort of a generic word. A very baggy one, at that; you can put anything into it you want.

Pre-made mueslis seem to have in common that they use oats, as the primary grain, and an author's selection of dried fruits and nuts. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 October 2018 at 10:37
To be honest, I wouldn't mind starting my workdays with this at all (the original) - it looks like a great way to go.

I'm wondering if a person could make 5 days' worth in advance, and then portion it out through the week. Also, it seems that giving the apple(s) a blitz in the blender or food processor (with the lemon juice, to prevent browning) would be just as good as using a 2-way grater, which in my mind's eye is little different than a microplane (perhaps larger); doin so would save a ton of time, if it's a viable option.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 October 2018 at 22:21
.....(perhaps larger)....?

Could you expand on this, Ron? I have 4 different sized micro-planes.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 October 2018 at 13:22
The ones I've seen have been small, hand-held devices; I figured a blender or food processor might be more efficient than that.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 October 2018 at 14:11
Not to hijack this thread, but it depends on the consistency you want for the apples.

There's nothing wrong with hand graters. In fact, they often produce a different texture than a blender or food processor.  The powered machines tend to grind fruits into a paste-like consistency. In this case, think apple sauce.

As to the microplanes, envision taking a four-way grater apart and making separate graters out of each piece. That's what you'd get with a selection of microplanes; except that the microplanes do a more efficient job.

So, say you wanted paper-thin, small pieces of the apple. You'd use the larger-opening plane to creat them. On the other hand, if you use the smallest size, you'd get a chunky applesauce like texture. 

Since the introduction of the microplanes (which were, originally, targeted at woodworkers, not cooks) they're being built by several makers, and in all sorts of configurations. Among others, for instance, I have one that has two sizes, on a hinge, that stands alone.  I've actually seen them configured as box graters as well. And all sorts of other shapes. 

If you opt for the power tool, I'd advise using the processor (cuz it operates at a slower speed), and use the pulse button, to better control the final texture.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 October 2018 at 11:38
That makes sense, Brook - I have a box grater with several surfaces, so perhaps I'll experiment in order to see what I'm looking for. After that, I can either try to emulate that by pulsing with the food processor; or perhaps I will discover that it isn't too much work, after all, and continue to do it by hand.

This is one of those things that I really like the idea of; my goal might be to turn it into a practical week-day breakfast, making 5 servings at a time and consuming it throughout the week.
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