Cherry Hill Drive In Ice Cream

ALL ABOUT ICE CREAM

Part 2 of 2

BY DIANA A. GALANG

Other Arab countries at the same time enjoyed a gelato type of ice cream sold in the markets. It was made if chilled syrup and milk mixed with fruits and nuts. Also available at that time was "butha," an ice cream made from fresh milk.

Today, the modern Persia, which is Iran, enjoys its newly invented ice cream made from starch, which is called "faludeh."

Among the most popular types of ice cream today, aside from regular ice cream, are sundaes, gelato and mochi balls. According to the story, the sundae was born during the 19th century, when people started to prepare and enjoy ice cream topped with syrup, which was mostly done during Sundays. Eventually the name was changed to sundae as a form of reverence to the Sabbath.

Another is gelato, a type of ice cream which is quite different from the regular variety because it has a thick texture. Gelato is made of whole milk, eggs, sugar, flavorings, nuts and other mixtures. It is believe that gelato is unique to Italy. However, there are writings that say that Arab countries were the ones that introduced gelato to Italy and other European countries. One of the most popular today, not only in Asia but also to the whole world, are the mochi balls, which is said to have originated in Japan. This type of ice cream became an instant favorite because of its unique form – enclosed in sticky rice. Biting a mochi ball will give you a shock because of the perfect combination of flavored sticky rice (somewhat like our own palitaw) and the equally delicious ice cream inside. Because of the Japanese people’s fascination with mochi, quite a number of people have died due to choking.

ICE AND ICE CREAM

The most wonderful discovery in ice cream making is the putting of salt in ice to stabilize the freezing point, and maximize the "exothermal" qualities of frozen water just slightly below the standard cryonograms for the ice not to melt. But this science is highly regarded mostly in places with a tropical climate. According to some writings it was the Chinese who are believed to have discovered the ability of salt to lower the freezing point the same way it raises the boiling point of water. Chinese people were able to create ice creams and sorbets by putting salt on the ice in the exterior of the container filled with temperature-sensitive syrups.

Though, there is no clear documentation on the true texture of ice creams in the earlier times, today’s version, which has a smooth and soft texture, is a product of the continuous stirring of the mixture through the use of a simple machine called the ice cream maker. According to several writings, Nancy Johnson invented the first ice cream maker, which was a hand-cranked freezer, in 1846. Through the turning of the freezer’s handle the container of the mixture that is surrounded with a mixture of ice and salt was continuously stirred. With this process the mixture was prevented from instant freezing.

The second type that came out in 1848 is similar to the first; a certain Mr. Young patented it on May 30, 1848. He called the ice cream maker "Johnson patent ice cream freezer." However, it was said that it was the same freezer as the first that was patented because Nancy Johnson sold her rights to Mr. Young.

The first commercial production of ice cream was in 1851 in Maryland by Jacob Fussel. The man later to be known as the Father of the American Ice Cream Industry was just a milk dealer who looked for a way to have a steady demand for his cream. From then on, ice cream industries rose all over the world.

ICE CREAM CONE

The creator of the ice cream cone is not certain because there are different claims. However, there are two names that are mostly credited to have invented the cone and they are Ernest Hamwi and Italo Marciony.

Hamwi’s cone story began in 1904 at the St. Louis World Fair. Ernest Hamwi, a Syrian immigrant, participated in the said fair bringing his cart with a waffle-like pastry called "zalakia." According to the story Hamwi’s cart was situated beside Arnold Fornachou who sold ice cream at the fair, the latter ran out of paper dishes for his ice cream and so Hamwi gave his "zalakia."

The other one is Italo Marciony who sold his homemade lemon ice in Wall Street, New York. His business eventually became successful, growing into many carts. But Marciony had a problem that caused him to lose great amounts of money, and that was the serving glasses of his ice creams called "penny licks." People who bought ice cream from him would accidentally break the glass or walk-off with it. He came out with an idea of making edible containers – the ice cream cone. On December 15, 1903, he was granted a patent.

There are many other names associated with the invention of the ice cream cone but whoever it is, thanks to him for it is much happier to eat ice cream in a cone.

Back to part 1