The history of ice cream

One of the most widespread and well-known desserts thanks to his kindness and authenticity of the ingredients! Fresh and high quality food that represents excellence and Italian creativity in the world. But have you ever wondered when, where and why was invented ice cream? Italian Traditions tells you a beautiful story that mixes legends and folk beliefs and testimonies of an ancient tradition.

The history of ice cream as we know it now, dates back to the Italian Renaissance. However, one of the first historical documents about ice cream comes from a Greek poet who lived in Athens around 500 BC. In this document is described how much they enjoyed preparing refreshing drinks with lemon, honey, juice Granada and, of course, snow or ice.

The first to propose a kind of ice cream, similar to the one we know today, were Romans. We know this thanks to the writer Plinio il Vecchio and Admiral, who wrote a receipt about crushing ice mixed with fruit juice and honey. Moreover, Pliny also speaks of an asset snow Terminillo, Etna and Vesuvius trade. In fact on the main roads they were widespread the thermopolia, equivalent to our ice cream trucks. However, with the fall of the Roman Empire, the West lost the tradition of the “cold products.”

In contrast, in the east, the consumption of cold drinks increased, giving relevance to refrigerated elements as a great component in their diet. In fact, thanks to the Arabs, which improved the preparation of sorbets, a new acceptance arrived in Sicily. The word “sherbet” seems to derive from the Arabic word “Scherbet” (sweet snow).

The birth of ice cream made from milk or cream is fairly recent. They were born in Florence around 1565 at the court of Catherine de Medici, thanks to architect Bernardo Buontalenti that, by organizing a sumptuous feast for the Spanish guests of the Duke of Tuscany produced something similar to a sorbet using frozen snow, salt, lemon, sugar, egg and milk. Commercialization, however, is due to the enterprising Sicilian chef Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli: who thanks to an invention of his grandfather decided to go to Paris. Using sugar instead of honey and salt in a glass with ice, to preserve its conservation, he comes to France where he was greeted as a brilliant inventor. In 1868, he opened Le Procope, which soon became the most famous cafe in France, frequented by celebrities, intellectuals, philosophers and writers.

Another important step for the production and distribution of ice cream comes from the United States where, in 1846, Nancy Johnson launches the first ice cream maker: an ice-filled container, where Nancy put a metal cylinder with a crank to mix favouring freezing. Equally important is the revolutionary invention of Fabbri (a producer of syrups and non-alcoholic) who was the first to product the most popular sweet in the world. The ingredients for their homemade ice cream include fruit pastes and creams that the craftsman used in recipes by adding milk, cream or water to get a delicious ice cream.

Crowned by a crispy waffle or nestled on a golden and crumbly cone, embellished with a fluffy cloud of whipped cream or delicious chocolate drops, discover the soft and fresh taste of the summer king. Read the IT5 of the week.