Stuff I Wonder

So this morning I am enjoying my coffee, and as I am adding half & half, I realize I have no idea what the stuff is. Seriously, for many years, I have just been drinking it without having any clue.  Well, I know it’s good, and I know it tastes like milk, but why is it called half & half. What is it half of?  Maybe it’s my distraction, my lack of appreciation, or maybe it’s just that I really like the stuff and don’t question its origins.

Well, today that was going to change. I was going to figure it, and I was going to find out why I could only have half of it.   For sure, if I read and study the box, I can find out. Sounds like a great place to start.

I actually read the entire box, all 10 sides of it, and I learned quite a bit, which I will be happy to share.    For beginners, I learn that this stuff is traditional… (maybe there’s crappy modern versions of half & half?)…

Also… you can depend on it to enrich your day with simple pleasures….

Hmm… that’s all great… but nothing so far about WHAT it is and where it comes from.

But wait, there’s more: “Half & Half is the ideal coffee complement!  and a wholesome ingredient in countless favorite dishes.”   Ahhh… there we go… that’s what I was looking for… I had no idea where to pour this into.

So,  the box goes on and on about how great it is, and how you can even use it to complement your coffee.  However, the question still remains… what is it?

Well, I figured my coffee would have to wait, I was on a mission now.  Aha, Wikipedia to the rescue. So this is what wikipedia has to say on the subject:

“The United States dairy product known as half and half is a mixture of one part milk to one part cream.”

Hmm… I dont know about you… but I actually had no idea what cream was either.  So, what is it?

Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top…

So, basically half & half is really high fat milk (10.5–18% fat), but not super fat compared to cream itself, which is 30–36% fat.  They mix half milk, and half cream, to arrive at a perfectly liquid and creamy consistency to complement your coffee.

Hmm.. interesting… but now, this makes me wonder… why can I only have half of it? Can I go find the actual cream and pour it into my coffee? After a little more research, I found I can actually buy the cream itself; it is sold in stores as “whipping cream!”.   So, my next project will be to seek it out, try it with my coffee and report back later.

On a side note, I think I might start to have a clue as to what 2% milk is, but that will be a whole nother subject.

Let me know if there’s anything you’ve been wondering yourself or if there’s anything you’ve found out and would like to share.