This is from ‘Snuff and Snuff Boxes’ by Hugh McCausland. I though you ‘make your own’ enthusiasts might be interested… “To 10.lbs. of snuff (which it is indispensable should be of a sweet Brazil character) take first 1 1/2 ilbs of the best French plums. Let them simmer for at least 5 hours until reduced to the feel of a soft… pulp, adding while simmering about 2ozs of grated Chapzugar Cheese; add thereto while simmering 1 1/2 salt - When the plums are sufficiently soft rub them through a cane sieve in order to seperate the stones - then spread out your snuff and force the plums through a wire sieve on to the snuff - mix it well up with your hands and 1 1/2 pints of best Olive or Almomd Oil and work the whole twice through the wire sieve: add about two glasses of Port wine lees. If you can get any Jaggaree disolve 1 1/2 lbs in hot water with 2 ozs Chapzugar and salt, if necessary a little wine lees - This is a much better recipe and requires no plums - but the foundation must be a sweet luscious flavour’d snuff” Seems a bit more involved than adding Toque Vanilla to some Best SP, which is the limit of my home snuffmaking. No idea what ‘Jaggaree’ or ‘Chapzugar’ are I must admit! Sounds like it might come out like a Schmaltzer? BTW, I’ve reproduced it exactly as given in the book.
I know of them using butter or lard in Schmalzlers, but not cheese! Interesting to say the least.
Wine lees and plums, raisins etc. are all common products used in German and Dutch snuff receipes. I guess the Jaggaree or Chapzugar could be some product from the sugarmanufacturing like molasses. If so, it is used to promote fermentation. The addition of oil points in the direction of the German Schmalzers as cstokes4 already said. Jaap Bes.
" From what I have been able to discover, “jaggaree” is a “coarse dark brown sugar made in India by evaporation of the sap of various palms.” “Apparently, the mysterious Chapzugar cheese still exists; Schabziguer cheese-Swiss Cheese flavored with blue melilot. Blue melilot is a herb that contains a large proportion of coumarin; the same toxic aromatic found in tonka beans, deertongue, etc.” Quotes from the Snufftalk discussion of this recipe.
“Jaggaree” is more often spelled “jaggery” and is unrefined Indian cane sugar. You can buy it in Asian supermarkets.
One of the Indian shops I use has “palm jaggery” as well as the sugarcane type.