Soda bread published containing a recipe for Soda Cake. In Europe, soda breads began to appear in the mid-19th century when bicarbonate of soda first became available for use as a raising agent. Breads, griddle cakes and scones with bicarbonate of soda, plus cream of tartar or tartaric acid became popular in Austria, Britain, Ireland and Poland. Traditional soda bread, eaten in Serbian cuisine, also uses bicarbonate of soda, particularly the traditional "česnica" (Serbian Cyrillic: Чесница), a soda bread made at Christmas. In Ireland, the flour is typically made from soft wheat, so soda bread is best made with a cake or
Buttermilk as "cultured buttermilk", is produced from cow's milk and has a characteristically intense sour taste caused by lactic acid bacteria. This variant is made using one of two species of bacteria—either "Lactococcus lactis" or "Lactobacillus bulgaricus", which creates more tartness. A quick version of buttermilk, known as "acidified buttermilk", is used to make paneer. This version is simply cow's milk with a food-grade acid like lemon juice or vinegar added and left to sit for at least 10 minutes. That is when the milk has curdled. The tartness of buttermilk is due to acid in the milk. The increased acidity