By Rebecca Maglischo
On a hot summer day in Florida, the line at the ice cream shop starts before opening and holds steady until the doors close. July may be National Ice Cream Month across the nation, but Floridians see no reason to limit their love to a mere 31 days. Florida holds steady in the top 5 states for ice cream consumption, and it’s no wonder considering the warm temperatures, prolific sunshine, and culture of spending time outside. But that simple scoop of deliciousness has a long and interesting history that isn’t so simple after all…
While there is no formal written history of ice cream, the basic idea of cold and delicious treats can be traced back to a few different locales. As early as 3000 BC, in ancient China, crushed ice was flavored with fruit juices and spices. Around this same time, records indicate that on cold nights in the Sahara, water would be flavored and frozen, too. These humble beginnings were the first indications of how far humans would go to acquire cold and delicious treats.
A few thousand years later, Ancient Greeks added their twist with a popular honey and wine flavor, and by at least 400BC, royals in Persia indulged in cooled, pudding-like syrups blended with snow, rose water and thin rice noodles. Other unique flavors were also added to the mix, including spices like cardamom and turmeric, orange blossom, rosewater, jasmine, nut flavors, and musk. Back then, anything that could be used as a perfume could be found in food, too. Sherbati, as it was called, more resembled the snow cones and icees we enjoy today but involved a LOT more work! Making sherbati included a trek to the mountains to gather the snow needed to create it. Or, as recorded in one sailor’s journal, a harrowing trip to the closest iceberg to claim a chunk of ice! Considering the resources required for its production, eating ice cream was a grand display of wealth, a rare and coveted treat.
These slushies, a far cry from today’s ice cream, marched across the globe taking on nuance and variety in virtually every civilization that experienced freezing temperatures. Iced treats, enjoyed almost exclusively by the wealthiest circles, didn’t reach the general population until the 1600s in France, when several recipes were first published to the masses. “Iced Cream” concoctions, which ranged in consistency from sherbet and sorbet to yogurt and gelato, became the rage of cafes across Paris.
The first recipe for “ice cream” as it is most widely known today was published in 1718 in Mrs. Mary Eale’s Recipes. First appearing in England, this recipe was brought to the United States where it was enjoyed by colonists and notable historic figures alike. Governor Bladen, of Maryland, was known to serve ice cream to his guests as early as 1700, and First Lady Dolly Madison even served the popular dessert at the 1812 Inaugural Ball!
The Science of Ice Cream
It only takes a quick look at the science of ice cream to understand why it took thousands of years to become a household item. A little chemistry knowledge also illuminates why good ice cream is really really really good, too! Ice cream is actually quite a complex and multi- faceted composition – it should be solid, yet soft, and should preferably stay that way while melting slowly. Easy, right? Yet, every person has had a taste of ice cream that was just, well… meh.
Ice cream is a frozen emulsion of 5 key components: ice crystals, fat, sweeteners, air, and other solids (such as flavorings). Looking at these base components highlights what is truly fascinating about making ice cream: it is mainly a matter of making a successful emulsion–the process of combining different substances which under normal circumstances would separate from each other (like oil and vinegar) and instead turn them into a smooth, lightly thickened mixture– the ice cream base! While there are a lot of variations, a typical balanced base is about 60% water (including the water you’ll find in milk and cream), about 15% sugar, about 10% non-fat milk content, and somewhere between 10-20% milk-fat content.
A good base must include emulsifiers. In the home kitchen, egg yolks are a key ingredient while commercial ice cream uses sorbitol or oil extracts. Pasteurization (heating to kill any bacteria) and homogenization (evenly distributing the fat droplets) are followed by an aging period when the base rests in refrigeration for up to 24 hours to allow the individual fat droplets to partially solidify and become coated by proteins. Then, it’s into the ice cream churn where the cheapest and lowest calorie ingredient is added- AIR. Believe it or not, this one component accounts for a huge difference in texture from one kind of ice cream to the next! In the industry, “over- run” is the technical term used to indicate how much air an ice cream holds. Ice cream with low over-run is more dense and could contain up to 3 or 4 times the amount of key ingredients as ice cream with high over-run. High priced, premium ice creams generally have low over-run and are more dense, thus they contain more fat and calories per scoop… that’s ice cream speak for “delicious!”
Ice Cream, the once royal and now common treat, has traveled the globe, spanned the ages, and experienced more iterations than any other food item. And perhaps this is why it continues to be the darling of the gustatory world. It’s a common ground linking nations and generations. It’s nuanced, allowing us to agree on dessert and yet express our personal flavor and style. Ice cream is a shared memory and a happy moment that travels on sprinkles, slips down waffle cones and sticks to our hearts.
