Top chef Kevin Thornton revealed he had tasted bog butter but archaeology experts advised against it
Posted on 06/12/2016 5:52:50 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A prehistoric 10 kilo lump of bog butter thought to have been a gift to the gods has been found by turf cutters.
The creamy white dairy product, which smells like a strong cheese and is believed to be about 2,000 years old, was unearthed by Jack Conway, from Maghera, Co Cavan, while he worked on Emlagh bog in Co Meath last week.
The find, while not unusual, has been given to the National Museum where it will be preserved.
Andy Halpin, assistant keeper in the museum's Irish Antiquities Division, said the discovery was significant because it was found in the Drakerath area where 11 townlands and the boundaries of three ancient baronies met...
Bog butter was often buried to preserve it to be dug up at a later date. Other research has shed light on it being buried as an offering to the gods or spirits in the hope of renewed prosperity.
Mr Halpin said the Emlagh discovery, 12 feet below the surface, may never have been intended to be unearthed as there was no evidence of a cover on it.
Finds are common in Ireland and Scotland and the product, which appears as a waxy substance, was often put in a wooden casket or animal hide first.
Turf cutter Mr Conway reported the find to Cavan County Museum before it was handed over to the National Museum where it will be carbon dated.
Top chef Kevin Thornton revealed he had tasted bog butter but archaeology experts are reluctant describing it as crumbly and with an odorous and distinctive smell like strong cheese.
"Theoretically the stuff is still edible but we wouldn't say it's advisable," Mr Halpin said.
(Excerpt) Read more at belfasttelegraph.co.uk ...
Top chef Kevin Thornton revealed he had tasted bog butter but archaeology experts advised against it
“Everything’s better with Bog Butter on it.”
Two thousand years old and still edible. And they know because they’ve tried it. Bravery.
I can’t believe it’s not Bog Butter
That’s some aged cheese.....
Very good. Thanks for the laugh.
I believe the Navy has something similar called “Boy Butter”.
Bada-bing.
I always enjoyed my business trips to NI. We’d sneak across the border into the Republic for lunch at the most remarkable pub/restaurants.
The heat was always provided by an open hearth burning hard coal and peat.
Something about the aroma and the Grant’s Gammon made the trip worth while.
Quite, although I would probably try it if I lived in Ireland, and blame the Guinness.
About 1/3 of the “bog butter” finds are actually meat of some sort (no idea what kind, no one knows), perhaps starting out as lard. These “bog butter” finds are also found in Scotland, so the animal matter in those are probably haggis that someone buried and claimed they’d finished every bite.
“For this crossing of the equator, we’ll need oversized knee-high boots and a live goat...”
I ate some dubious Haggis once;
I crapped Bog Butter for a week.
From the days before deep fried butter...
My guess is, they pretty much buried everything, but finished off all the buried potent potables thousands of years ago, then couldn’t remember where the other stuff was buried.
“Clancy dug up some bog butter over on his *spread*.” (a good line for John Wayne to have used in “The Quiet Man”)
Wouldn’t surprise me, tho I only spent 18 years there learning the culture and history.
;-)
“We buried the haggis over in that soft ground, although I prefer the claymore.”
I miss deep-fried ice cream...
It’s really only a year-long course, but there’s a pub every block, so it took 18 years. /rimshot
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