1747

Ambergris, ever a rare and precious commodity, was used in foods and beverages by the aristocratic class of yesteryear, a practice that would be almost unthinkable today given its scarcity and price. Aside from the many accounts of King Charles II's fondness for ambergris, this spectacular ingredient also occasionally features in cookbooks of the time, such as Hannah Glasse's 1747 'The Art of Cookery', which contained a recipe calling for ‘ambergrease’, among other spices, in hot chocolate.