Source: Atlas Obscura
Occasionally, a rogue squid beak gets lodged in a sperm whale’s intestines. To protect its soft innards against the sharp irritant, the animal produces a waxy secretion called ambergris (“gray amber”), much like an oyster forming a pearl. Excreted ambergris is turned into a rock-like mass by saltwater and sunshine.
By the time the weather-beaten clump reaches shore, it may be worth thousands of dollars.Unlike a pearl, this protective material isn’t much to look at, but its odor is something to behold. According to one molecular biologist who studies the substance, ambergris evokes “leaf litter on a forest floor” as well as “the delicate, frilly undersides of mushrooms that grow in damp and shaded places.”
Throughout history, ambergris has been most prized in perfumery, but cooks began publishing recipes using the substance around 1660. The…
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