The fascinating history behind one of the world's most-loved desserts, ice cream
Ice cream needs absolutely no introduction. It is one of the most popular and well-loved desserts around the world. Even with its different versions in different countries, from kulfi in India to gelato in Italy, the fundamentals remain the same. But have you ever wondered how this delicious food item came into being? And how did it spread world over? If your quest for ice cream-related knowledge has given you a brain freeze, read on to find out everything about this tempting dessert.
Where and how was ice cream first invented?
Most information related to the history of food is not definitively known, and so is the case with ice cream. However, according to food historians, the first references to consuming ice and snow as food date back to China in the 11th century BCE. It is believed that the Chinese ate a combination of milk and rice that was frozen in the snow.
After this, somewhere around 400 BCE, the Persians invented the ‘yakhchal’ which was the predecessor to modern refrigerators. It was a large pyramidal structure which kept things cool using evaporation and insulation. Persians then invented ‘sherbat’ in the 11th century CE, which combined ice, sugar and other flavourings, an idea that was partially borrowed from India. The icy treat was brought to Europe during the crusades. It is also regarded to be the closest ancestor to modern day ice cream.
How did ice cream become popular during the modern times?
The idea of ice cream came about during the Age of Exploration. This was the period when Europeans set up their colonies in the Americas. The Spanish were the first to colonise the ‘New World’- especially South America. At this point, Mexico was popular all over the world for its chocolate, sugar and vanilla production. The colonisers brought these foods, which were considered exotic back then, to Europe in the 16th century. After combining a few ingredients with these, a partial form of ice cream was developed. It first spread to Spain’s neighbour, France, where primarily aristocrats indulged in the frozen dessert. After this, it travelled across the English Channel to England, the nation which was considered to be “the land of all things dairy” back then. It was here that enterprising efforts were undertaken to enhance the dessert even further. The English froze combinations of milk and cream, thus coming up with some of the first forms of the modern-day version of ice-cream.
The popularity of ice cream spread across Europe like wildfire in the 18th century. It was made using locally produced milk and cream, as well as molasses and sugar which were acquired through the Atlantic slave trade.