Mango Cordial with enzymes
How do you define cordial? Turns out, the same word means different things in different places! Tour through its use in classic literature to end up with a modern recipesmade with enzymes.
What is a cordial? This may seem like a simple question, but one word can mean different things depending on the region of the English you use. In fact, for this recipe I had to ask Michal Dojčák, the recipe creator, what he meant by the word cordial because I myself wasn’t sure.
Cordial in literature
I’m from Canada, so for me the first cordial that comes to mind is the infamous raspberry cordial in Anne of Green Gables. Anne mixes up the innocent raspberry cordial with current wine, serving it to Diana while the two had a grown-up tea. The tea turned out to be more grown-up than they anticipated, with Diana ending up drunk, then sick, and finally forbidden to meet her bumbling best friend. Raspberry cordial in this context, then, refers to something non-alcoholic that children would be able to consume.
The second cordial I remember is from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe of the Narnia series. Lucy, one of the main characters, is given a bottle of magical cordial that will heal any wounds or illnesses with just a drop. Here we have the original meaning of cordial, as a medicine. Herbs, flowers, oils, seeds, fruits and nuts were steeped in spirits to extract their medicinal properties. These alcohol-based medicines were meant especially for the heart, cordialis in Latin meaning “of or for the heart”.
The strengthening and healing properties of cordials of yore were also referenced in The Lord of the Rings. While being attacked by the mountain Caradhras with a snowstorm, Gandalf shares a precious mouthful of miruvor, the cordial of Imladris and a gift from Elrond, with the Company. “As soon as Frodo had swallowed a little of the warm and fragrant liquor he felt a new strength of heart, and the heavy drowsiness left his limbs. The others also revived and found fresh hope and vigour.” (LOTR, Part I, Book II, Chapter III).
Definitions of cordial
To sort out the confusions, let’s set down what cordial can reference depending where you are and who you are speaking with. In the USA, a cordial is the same as a liqueur, a spirit with added flavourings and often sweeteners. Clearly, this meaning descends from the original meaning of cordial as a health-strengthening alcohol-based tonic.
In the UK and Europe though, cordial refers to something non-alcoholic, specifically something like a syrup used to mix with water or cocktails. Next to the sink in many households in Europe will be a bottle of syrup, often based on fruit but also herbs and flowers, to mix with tap water or sparkling waters as a regular drink. In North America, the only people that do this would have some European influence, though frozen fruit juice concentrates are available, as well as (artificial tasting) powders. For Michal Dojčák, a cordial has some acid added and is less sweet compared to a syrup.
As is often the case, Canada is in the middle, not mixing cordial or syrups similar to the USA, but its arguably most famous book using the word with a European meaning.
Enzymes to make cordial?
As we are in Europe, this recipe is for the non-alcoholic syrup-like cordial. The internet provides many recipes for fruit based syrups - but why add enzymes to it as this recipe does? The two enzymes, available in our shop, added to the mango juice have two different functions.
Enzymes at work. Source: Michal Dojčák
Pectinase is a mix of enzymes that breaks down pectin in the cell wall of fruit. Pectin, with other molecules, is one of the factors that keep cell walls stiff - think green unripe fruit. As the pectin breaks down, the cell walls soften - think a squishy ripe peach. When the cell walls break down, more liquid and flavour can be extracted. This is obvious when you think of juicing a green peach or a ripe peach, but pectinase takes it even farther to the cellular level. Mango juice will be cloudy, and pectinase breaks down the clouds from fruit matter to clear the juice. Learn more about how pectinase works here.
Invertase, on the other hand, splits a sucrose molecule, such as regular table sugar, into its components of glucose and fructose. The combination of the two separate types of sweeteners has a sweeter taste than the same amount chemically joined as sucrose. mango is one fruit that is high in sucrose, so adding invertase to the juice helps the cordial taste sweeter. As well, as the invertase breaks down sucrose, it loses its structure and liquefies. Learn more about how invertase works here.
Therefore, added pectinase and invertase both break down the mango still in the juice, and the result is that the juice clarifies. Having a clear cordial is vital when mixing with certain cocktails, and especially when involving carbonation, as the fruit matter causes bubbles to develop and then escape.
The final Mango Cordial is both sweet and fresh (thanks to the addition of Citrus Blend, available in our shop) and is a great addition to fizzes, Collins, sours, and whisky highballs. Lacking elven powers, we can’t promise you the same strengthening results as Frodo’s cordial, but we’re sure you’ll find it refreshing in a drink all the same.
Mango Cordial Recipe
by Michal Dojčák
8 grams Toüfood Pectinäse
8 grams Toüfood Invertäse
400 grams mango juice
sugar, as needed
Citrus Blend, already diluted, see instructions
Instructions
Weigh ingredients, seal in a vacuum bag, and put the bag in the fridge for 24 hours.
Strain through a superbag or layers of cheesecloth. The yield should be about 350 ml.
Measure the mix of the resulting juice and add enough sugar to reach a 1:1 simple syrup ratio, or 50 Brix.
To make the cordial, add equal parts clarified mango syrup with Citrus Blend. The Citrus Blend should already be diluted 1:9 (1 part citrus blend to 9 parts liquid) with water or other complementary liquid, such as green tea.
Bottle cordial. In the fridge it will last one month.
