The First Water Ice
The idea of freezing drinks or mixing fruit juices with ice or snow was also developed by ancient Indians, Greeks, Romans, and Arab peoples. And by the way, did you notice that these first "ices" were actually sorbets? This state of affairs persisted until the Renaissance, when in Italy, crema fiorentina was created, something similar to a frozen cream-based eggnog. For a long time, ice cream was a luxury dessert, expensive and therefore available only to the wealthiest. The reason was the cost of the ingredients, the transportation or storage of ice, and the actual "production" itself. The method of cooling liquids was a closely guarded secret, requiring not only
culinary and confectionery knowledge but also an understanding of physics and chemistry. The secret lay in using potassium nitrate or salt to enhance the cooling reaction on the ice. Only this knowledge allowed for the widespread production of well-chilled ice creams, which in turn led to their popularization among the masses.
Italy, especially Sicily, was the European cradle of ice cream, so it’s no surprise that the first ice cream parlor in the world was opened in 1686 by Sicilian Francesco Procopio de’Coltelli. Café Procope, located in Paris, initially sold only lemon sorbet. Notable guests, such as Rousseau, Marie Antoinette, and Napoleon, visited the establishment. In Poland, ice cream also came via the royal kitchen. August III Sas enjoyed it with his court and guests. For a long time, ice cream retained its elitist status here. This is evidenced by the fact that the first printed recipe for ice cream appeared only in the 18th century, in W. Wielądka’s book Kucharz doskonały (The Perfect Cook).
It’s also worth mentioning that Gdansk contributed to the ice cream epic fame. In the aforementioned Gdańska książka kucharska (Gdansk Cookbook), there are as many as nine recipes for frozen desserts: four for milk ice creams and five for sorbets, including a recipe for classic lemon sorbet, made with wine. From not so distant times, it would be a sin not to mention two iconic Gdansk ice cream parlors – Lodziarnia Miś and Eskimo Ice Cream. These are nostalgic places with loyal fans and vocal opponents, but despite the changes in time, they have withstood the test of time, allowing us to feel like children with scoops of malaga and English cream.
culinary and confectionery knowledge but also an understanding of physics and chemistry. The secret lay in using potassium nitrate or salt to enhance the cooling reaction on the ice. Only this knowledge allowed for the widespread production of well-chilled ice creams, which in turn led to their popularization among the masses.
Italy, especially Sicily, was the European cradle of ice cream, so it’s no surprise that the first ice cream parlor in the world was opened in 1686 by Sicilian Francesco Procopio de’Coltelli. Café Procope, located in Paris, initially sold only lemon sorbet. Notable guests, such as Rousseau, Marie Antoinette, and Napoleon, visited the establishment. In Poland, ice cream also came via the royal kitchen. August III Sas enjoyed it with his court and guests. For a long time, ice cream retained its elitist status here. This is evidenced by the fact that the first printed recipe for ice cream appeared only in the 18th century, in W. Wielądka’s book Kucharz doskonały (The Perfect Cook).
It’s also worth mentioning that Gdansk contributed to the ice cream epic fame. In the aforementioned Gdańska książka kucharska (Gdansk Cookbook), there are as many as nine recipes for frozen desserts: four for milk ice creams and five for sorbets, including a recipe for classic lemon sorbet, made with wine. From not so distant times, it would be a sin not to mention two iconic Gdansk ice cream parlors – Lodziarnia Miś and Eskimo Ice Cream. These are nostalgic places with loyal fans and vocal opponents, but despite the changes in time, they have withstood the test of time, allowing us to feel like children with scoops of malaga and English cream.