Ice-cream is a delicacy known to most of us and it is enjoyed daily around the world, even in colder climes. It is commonly based on cream or milk and sometimes eggs to form a custard like base. Sweeteners are added, once in the form of fruit, now largely replaced by sugar, but the treat we enjoy today has not changed hugely from the early efforts of frozen dessert makers.
Have you ever asked yourself how we come to enjoy this sweet treat or thought about it's origins?
Evidence of a frozen dessert was recorded as long ago as 400BC in Persia; this was made of snow and fruit juice, possibly not really ice cream but I'm sure it was delicious never the less. Reports of a frozen milk and rice mixture have been noted in China in roughly 200BC, this sounds as though it might be slightly closer to ice cream as we understand the term today.
The history of frozen desserts does not seem to be particularly well documented but in the 10th Century the Arabs were producing a frozen pudding using milk as a major ingredient, there were variations on the theme across the Arab world, sugar was used to sweeten the mixture and additions included rosewater, nuts and dried fruits, it sounds as though it might have resembled today's Tutti Frutti!
There are reports that around this time the Chinese developed a device for freezing fruit syrup, they poured a mixture of ice and saltpetre over canisters containing the syrup. This method would have worked in a similar fashion to the ice and salt machines that are still in use today, the salt lowers the freezing point of the water, chilling the mixture as it cools.
If we are to believe history it appears that Marco Polo was responsible for noting how the Chinese made this iced delicacy and transporting the secret to Italy.
In the sixteenth century the Indian Mughals in Delhi had ice delivered by horsemen from the mountains of the Hindu Kush so they could make frozen desserts, this must have been the height of luxury for these socially high ranking Indians.
Actual recipes for ice cream appear in Europe and the United States in the early 18th century. Wikipedia quotes an example from one Mrs Mary Eales, it is a long and complicated process explaining how to pack containers with fruit and cream, then how to pack the containers in ice and salt explaining the need for a cool environment and adequate insulation. I wonder how many modern cooks would be prepared to go to these lengths?
In 1843 Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia patented a hand cranked ice-cream maker, this was probably the forerunner of the domestic machines we know today. Ice cream was still a luxury as refrigeration was not universally available. The Victorians imported ice from Norway and the United States which made the confection more readily available.
Ice cream developed steadily with the introduction of sundaes, wafer cones and in the 20th century soft serve appeared. Soft serve is made by introducing double the amount of air previously incorporated in the mixture, this makes it softer and more economical to make.
In 1926 modern refrigeration was developed and the making of ice cream became a simpler and more reliable process, until this point ice cream was generally made by small local businesses. From then onwards true mass production was possible making the product cheaper and more widely available.
Have you ever asked yourself how we come to enjoy this sweet treat or thought about it's origins?
Evidence of a frozen dessert was recorded as long ago as 400BC in Persia; this was made of snow and fruit juice, possibly not really ice cream but I'm sure it was delicious never the less. Reports of a frozen milk and rice mixture have been noted in China in roughly 200BC, this sounds as though it might be slightly closer to ice cream as we understand the term today.
The history of frozen desserts does not seem to be particularly well documented but in the 10th Century the Arabs were producing a frozen pudding using milk as a major ingredient, there were variations on the theme across the Arab world, sugar was used to sweeten the mixture and additions included rosewater, nuts and dried fruits, it sounds as though it might have resembled today's Tutti Frutti!
There are reports that around this time the Chinese developed a device for freezing fruit syrup, they poured a mixture of ice and saltpetre over canisters containing the syrup. This method would have worked in a similar fashion to the ice and salt machines that are still in use today, the salt lowers the freezing point of the water, chilling the mixture as it cools.
If we are to believe history it appears that Marco Polo was responsible for noting how the Chinese made this iced delicacy and transporting the secret to Italy.
In the sixteenth century the Indian Mughals in Delhi had ice delivered by horsemen from the mountains of the Hindu Kush so they could make frozen desserts, this must have been the height of luxury for these socially high ranking Indians.
Actual recipes for ice cream appear in Europe and the United States in the early 18th century. Wikipedia quotes an example from one Mrs Mary Eales, it is a long and complicated process explaining how to pack containers with fruit and cream, then how to pack the containers in ice and salt explaining the need for a cool environment and adequate insulation. I wonder how many modern cooks would be prepared to go to these lengths?
In 1843 Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia patented a hand cranked ice-cream maker, this was probably the forerunner of the domestic machines we know today. Ice cream was still a luxury as refrigeration was not universally available. The Victorians imported ice from Norway and the United States which made the confection more readily available.
Ice cream developed steadily with the introduction of sundaes, wafer cones and in the 20th century soft serve appeared. Soft serve is made by introducing double the amount of air previously incorporated in the mixture, this makes it softer and more economical to make.
In 1926 modern refrigeration was developed and the making of ice cream became a simpler and more reliable process, until this point ice cream was generally made by small local businesses. From then onwards true mass production was possible making the product cheaper and more widely available.
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