Humulus lupulus, a member of the cannabis family, has been for centuries the spice of beer. Today, however, humulus lupulus, or hops, has made its way into the kitchens of professional chefs, home brewers and beer lovers alike. Since its first recorded reference by, first century Roman, Pliny the Elder in his encyclopedia Naturalis Historia, hops have taken quite a journey to get to their present day splendor. Hallertau, Germany is credited with the first cultivation of the hop plant in 736AD but it wasn’t until 1079 that hops were first mentioned in brewing beer. By the 13th century, hops had begun to threaten fruit as the primary flavoring in beer. In 1516, German legislators passed the Reinheitsgebot, or “German Beer Purity Law”, a law proclaiming that only malted barley, water and hops were permitted if the beverage were to be labeled as beer (yeast was added to the list after its discovery in the late 1800s by Louis Pasteur). Shortly thereafter, Britain condemned hops as a “wicked and pernicious weed” in 1519. But, after a few years, the Britons realized Germany had it right and began growing hops in England for the purpose of brewing beer. When English settlers made the voyage across the Atlantic, they brought with them their love of and taste for beer. During the beginning of the 17th century, the settlers imported hops from their homeland but later realized they could grow the plant in the fertile New World soil; and so it was in 1629 that hops cultivation began in present-day America.
Harvesting hops, like most crops, used to be extremely labor intensive before mechanized farm equipment came into style. In the 1800s, before mechanization, migrant workers from Oklahoma who came to California during the Gold Rush were the labor force of hop harvesting. During the Great Depression, entire families would be in the hop fields harvesting all day—even small children. It wasn’t until Florian Dauenhauer invented the first hop-harvesting machine that the social impact of hops was made known. Dauenhauer’s machine, ironically, helped to destroy the local hop industry in California; it enabled big business, large-scale production to be moved to the more spacious fields of Oregon and Washington.
As mentioned above, the hop plant is documented as first being grown in Hallertau, Germany; but today hops are grown all over the world. In the United States, the most popular growing region is the Pacific Northwest, in Washington and Oregon; although, hops can be grown almost anywhere. A good rule of thumb for deciding which hops will grow best in a particular growing zone is: “If it can’t live like we do, we don’t want it.” As with most plant life, certain varieties are hardier than others and can therefore withstand more extreme temperature shifts. For years, farmers have enjoyed growing hops; and as the popularity of highly hopped beers expanded across the country in the early 1990s, they began producing more hops. Eventually, the market was so saturated that prices began to drop below standard market value and a hop surplus was born. Also, as the prices for other food commodities were rising and the price of hops was dropping, so hops farmers ditched the hop plant for a more stable source of income. As the number of hops farmers has decreased over the recent growing seasons, so has the availability of hops. Currently, the beer community in this country is suffering from a hop shortage, referred to as “The Hop Crisis”, as prices have increased more than ten-fold. There are predictions that some hop varieties will become extinct if the Crisis continues long enough.
It is common knowledge that hops are a key ingredient in beer but they have also been known, in some communities, for their medicinal purposes. Hop tea, or hop leaves steeped in hot water, is believed to be a treatment for anxiety, restlessness and insomnia. Folk remedies suggest filling an insomniac’s pillow with hops to help induce sleepiness. The relaxing effect this remedy is based upon comes from the dimethyl vinyl carbinol, a chemical, found in the oils of the hop flower. Other studies suggest that hops aid in digestion, and the healthy function of the GI tract, as well as in muscle relaxation. The anti-oxidant properties of hops also help to prevent wrinkles and keep the skin clear of acne; some remedies even suggest using a hop paste as a topical treatment for open wounds. Hops as medicine has been a concept that seems to have avoided catching on in this country; instead, hops in the U.S. are popular for brewing and culinary use rather than medicinal.
Beer has for centuries been the main victual associated with the hop plant, but as the American cuisine evolves and, inevitably, borrows ideas from other countries, hops are beginning to find their way into the kitchens of many chefs. Some brewpubs are now serving butter infused with hops with their bread or creating hop sauces for various entrees. Home brewers, being the creative bunch that they are, have experimented with hop bread, hop brownies, and sorbet with hops. As consumer knowledge of beer changes, so does the understanding of hops; beer drinkers now understand the components of beer, hops being one of the most interesting ingredients, like wine lovers understand the grapes that ferment into their beloved drink. Also, many restaurants are shifting to maintaining extensive beer menus instead of, or in addition to, their wine lists. Chefs are experimenting and have begun to cook foods with hops that will compliment the beer served in their restaurants. In Belgium, hop shoots are considered a true culinary delicacy much like we Americans view delicious, ripe springtime asparagus. Hop shoots are also exorbitantly higher in price in Belgian restaurants than asparagus, which makes for a larger profit margin than asparagus would ever provide.
And now, what you've all been waiting for......RECIPES!!!!!!!!!
12 large endive leaves, washed & drained
6 slices Bayonne ham, cut in half lengthwise
12 wedges Trappist cheese
4 oz hop shoots, cut into ½ inch lengths
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 ½ cups milk, room temperature
Salt & pepper to taste
Wrap a ham slice around a wedge of cheese, and place in the center cavity of an endive leaf; place in a buttered baking dish. Repeat until all leaves are stuffed. Blanch the hop shoots in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes; drain. When cool, sprinkle the hop shoots over the casserole. Make a béchamel sauce and pour over the casserole. Bake at 350°F until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and browned.
4 oz diced hop shoots
4 oz water
4oz capers
4 oz diced celery
4 oz diced sweet onion
3 oz diced red bell pepper
1 oz chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbs minced thyme
1 tsp cracked pepper
Olive oil & lemon juice to taste
Steam the hop shoots until tender. Blend the remaining ingredients and stir in the hop shoots. A crunchy relish that is great for topping deli sandwiches or toasted bruschetta.
1 whole chicken
1 beer can, top removed
1 dark beer
To taste:
Fresh thyme
Fresh rosemary
Fresh garlic
Fresh leaf hops
Salt
Black peppercorns, whole
Olive oil
Carrots, large dice
Small fingerling potatoes, whole or halved
Shiitake mushrooms
Combine hops, herbs, pepper and salt in a food processor; while processing, drizzle oil until mixture forms a paste. Coat the chicken, inside and outside, with the hop mixture. Fill beer cans half full with the dark beer and place inside the chicken; keeping the chicken and beer can upright, place in a roasting pan. Surround the chicken with the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350°F until internal temperature is 165°F.
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
8 Tbs butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup AP flour
¼ tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
5-10 grams hops, depending on the desired strength
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch baking pan with greased foil. Clarify the butter; combine the clarified butter and the hops in a sauté pan. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter turns brown; do not boil. Strain the hops from the butter; set butter aside. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Transfer the chocolate to a bowl and mix in the sugar; add the hop-infused butter; beat in the eggs, one at a time; and gentle sit in the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into the greased baking pan and bake until just barely set in the center.
Don't know where to find hops for these delicious recipes??? Go to your local homebrew shop, they will be more than happy to help you find what you need for your culinary adventures!
