ambergris

is produced in the digestive tract of sperm whales, where it is thought to accrete around sharp objects, such as the beaks of giant squid, in order to protect the internal organs of the whale, much like pearls are formed around irritating grains of sand inside the shells of oysters. When fresh—despite the descriptions in Moby Dick—it is fatty and smells like feces. Whales expel ambergris, which floats and develops a pleasant sweetness as it ages that seems, by the sheer number of adjectives used to capture its aroma, to defy description. It is commonly said to be both earthy and marine, like rich, smooth rubbing alcohol, but without the astringency. Ambergris is staggeringly expensive, was used for centuries as a fixative in perfume, and was thought to ward off the plague. It appears, very occasionally, in early recipes for punch.See also punch.

Melville, Herman. Moby Dick. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Wondrich, David. Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl. New York, Penguin, 2004.

By: Max Watman