Neapolitan ice cream

Last updated
Neapolitan ice cream
Neapolitan.jpg
A block of Neapolitan ice cream
Place of origin Prussia
Main ingredients Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry ice cream
VariationsHistorically, colours were of the Italian flag: green (pistachio or almond), white (vanilla), and red (cherry, actually pink). [1]

Neapolitan ice cream, also sometimes referred to as Harlequin ice cream, [2] is an ice cream composed of three separate flavors (typically vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) arranged side by side in the same container, usually without any barrier between them.

Contents

History

Neapolitan ice cream was the first ice cream recipe to combine three flavors. [3] The first recorded recipe was created by head chef of the royal Prussian household Louis Ferdinand Jungius in 1839, who dedicated the recipe to the nobleman, Fürst Pückler. [4] The German name for Neapolitan ice cream is Fürst-Pückler-Eis.

Its English-language name of Neapolitan arose in the late 19th century due to confusion about its origin given Italy's reputation for ice cream [5] or because its colors - originally green (pistachio), white (vanilla) and red (cherry) - matched those of the Italian flag. [6] Early recipes featured a variety of flavors, but the combination of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry became the standard, likely because these were the most popular flavors in the United States at the time of its introduction. [7]

Quotes from food historians

Cosmopolitan slice. A slice of ice-cream cake made with mousse mixture and ordinary ice cream, presented in a small pleated paper case. Neapolitan ice cream consists of three layers, each of a different colour and flavour (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla), moulded into a block and cut into slices. Neapolitan ice-cream makers were famous in Paris at the beginning of the 19th century, especially Tortoni, creator of numerous ice-cream cakes.

Jenifer Harvey Lang, Larousse Gastronomique [8]

Eighteenth century [...] confectioners' shops [were] very often run by Italians. Consequently ice creams were often called 'Italian ice creams' or 'Neapolitan ice creams' throughout the nineteenth century, and the purveying of such confections became associated with Italian immigrants.

John F. Mariani, The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink [9]

Neapolitan ice cream, different flavoured layers frozen together [...] [was] first being talked about in the 1870s.

Stuart Berg Flexner, I Hear America Talking [10]

...in a dress of pink and white stripes, strongly resembling Neapolitan ice cream.

A cultural reference from The New York Times , 1887 [11]

19th-century descriptions

Tub of Neapolitan ice cream from the United Kingdom Neapolitan ice cream UK.JPG
Tub of Neapolitan ice cream from the United Kingdom

You must have a Neapolitan box for this ice and fill it up in three or four layers with different coloured and flavoured ice creams (a water ice may be used with the custards); for instance, lemon, vanilla, chocolate and pistachio. Mould in the patent ice cave for about 1½ to 2 hours, turn it out, cut it in slices, and arrange neatly on the dish, on a napkin or dish-paper.

"Neapolitan box" (A. B. Marshall, The Book of Ices, 1885) [12]

These are prepared by putting ices of various kinds and colors into a mold known as a Neapolitan ice box, which, when set and turned out, is cut into slices suitable for serving. However small the pieces, the block should be cut so that each person gets some of each kind. They are generally laid on a lace paper on an ice plate. Four or five kinds are usually put in the mold, though three sorts will do. The following will serve as a guide in arranging: First, vanilla cream, then raspberry or cherry or currant water; coffee or chocolate in the middle; the strawberry cream, with lemon or orange or pineapple water to finish. A cream ice flavored with any liqueur, a brown bread cream flavored with brandy, with a couple of bright-colored water ices, form another agreeable mixture. Tea cream may be introduced into almost any combination unless coffee were used. Banana cream, pistachio, or almond cream with cherry water and damson or strawberry water are other options. The Neapolitan Ice Spoon has a double use; ice bowl is for putting the mixture into the mold, and the handle is for leveling it. The boxes may be made of tin, which is less expensive than pewter. They are generally sold small enough to make single ices, but these are much more troublesome to prepare. After filling the molds, if there is no cave, 'bed' the ice in the usual way.

"Neapolitan Icey Cones" (Lizzie Heritage, Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book, 1894) [13]

Cake

In Australia, there is a popular cake known as Neapolitan cake or marble cake, made with the same three colours of Neapolitan ice cream swirled through in a marble pattern, usually topped with pink icing. [14]

See also

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Neapolitan ice cream at Wikimedia Commons

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice cream</span> Frozen dessert

Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food colouring is sometimes added in addition to stabilizers. The mixture is cooled below the freezing point of water and stirred to incorporate air spaces and prevent detectable ice crystals from forming. It can also be made by whisking a flavoured cream base and liquid nitrogen together. The result is a smooth, semi-solid foam that is solid at very low temperatures. It becomes more malleable as its temperature increases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trifle</span> Custard dessert

Trifle is a layered dessert of English origin. The usual ingredients are a thin layer of sponge fingers or sponge cake soaked in sherry or another fortified wine, a fruit element, custard and whipped cream layered in that order in a glass dish. The contents of a trifle are highly variable and many varieties exist, some forgoing fruit entirely and instead using other ingredients, such as chocolate, coffee or vanilla. The fruit and sponge layers may be suspended in fruit-flavoured jelly, and these ingredients are usually arranged to produce three or four layers. The assembled dessert can be topped with whipped cream or, more traditionally, syllabub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice cream sandwich</span> Frozen dessert typically composed of ice cream between two biscuits

An ice cream sandwich is a frozen dessert consisting of ice cream between two biscuits, wafers, cookies, or baked goods. The ingredients are different around the world, with Ireland using wafers and the United States commonly using cookies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kulfi</span> South Asian frozen dessert

Kulfi is a frozen dairy dessert from the Indian subcontinent. It is often described as "traditional Indian ice cream". Kulfi originated in 16th-century Delhi during the Mughal era. It is part of the national cuisines of India, Pakistan, and Trinidad and Tobago. It is also popular in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Middle East.

<i>Mille-feuille</i> French pastry

A mille-feuille, also known by the names Napoleon in North America, vanilla slice in the United Kingdom, and custard slice, is a French dessert made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream. Its modern form was influenced by improvements made by Marie-Antoine Carême.

<i>Spumoni</i> Ice cream dish

Spumone is a molded gelato made with layers of different colors and flavors, usually containing candied fruits and nuts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss roll</span> Sponge cake formed in a spiral roll, with filling

A Swiss roll, jelly roll, roll cake, cream roll, roulade or Swiss log is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, icing, or any type of filling. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake is believed to have originated elsewhere in Central Europe, possibly Austria or Slovenia. It appears to have been invented in the nineteenth century, along with Battenberg cake, doughnuts, and Victoria sponge. In the U.S., commercial snack-sized versions of the cake are sold with the brand names Ho Hos, Yodels, Swiss Cake Rolls, and others. A type of roll cake called Yule log is traditionally served at Christmas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorbet</span> Frozen dessert of Iranian origin

Sorbet is a frozen dessert made using ice combined with fruit juice, fruit purée, or other ingredients, such as wine, liqueur, or honey. Generally, sorbets do not contain dairy products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate ice cream</span> Ice cream with natural or artificial chocolate flavoring

Chocolate ice cream is ice cream with natural or artificial chocolate flavoring. One of the oldest flavors of ice creams, it is also one of the world's most popular. While most often sold alone, it is also a base for many other flavors.

Parlour is a brand of frozen dessert currently produced by Nestlé. Parlour comes in many different flavours and is available mainly in Canada. Originally produced by Sealtest Ice Cream Parlor in the United States as an ice cream, it no longer meets the legal definition of ice cream due to a change in the recipe; the high content of palm oils. Parlour now competes with bigger brands of ice cream such as: Chapman's, Breyers and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bread and butter pudding</span> Traditional sweet British pudding

Bread and butter pudding is a traditional bread pudding in British cuisine. Slices of buttered bread scattered with raisins are layered in an oven dish, covered with an egg custard mixture seasoned with nutmeg, vanilla, or other spices, then baked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanilla ice cream</span> Ice cream flavor

Vanilla is frequently used to flavor ice cream, especially in North America, Asia, and Europe. Vanilla ice cream, like other flavors of ice cream, was originally created by cooling a mixture made of cream, sugar, and vanilla above a container of ice and salt. The type of vanilla used to flavor ice cream varies by location. In North America and Europe consumers are interested in a more prominent, smoky flavor, while in Ireland, a more anise-like flavor is desired. To create the smooth consistency of ice cream, the mixture has to be stirred occasionally and then returned to the container of ice and salt to continue the solidification process. According to Iced: 180 Very Cool Concoctions, many people often consider vanilla to be the "default" or "plain" flavor of ice cream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sponge cake</span> Type of cake

Sponge cake is a light cake made with eggs, flour and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. Some sponge cakes do not contain egg yolks, like angel food cake, but most of them do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated during the Renaissance, possibly in Spain. The sponge cake is thought to be one of the first non-yeasted cakes, and the earliest attested sponge cake recipe in English is found in a book by the English poet Gervase Markham, The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman (1615). Still, the cake was much more like a cracker: thin and crispy. Sponge cakes became the cake recognised today when bakers started using beaten eggs as a rising agent in the mid-18th century. The Victorian creation of baking powder by English food manufacturer Alfred Bird in 1843 allowed the addition of butter to the traditional sponge recipe, resulting in the creation of the Victoria sponge. Cakes are available in many flavours and have many recipes as well. Sponge cakes have become snack cakes via the Twinkie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semolina pudding</span> Porridge-type pudding made from semolina

Semolina pudding or semolina porridge is a porridge-type pudding made from semolina, which is cooked with milk, or a mixture of milk and water, or just water. It is often served with sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, raisins, fruit, or syrup. It is similar to grain based halva or halawa. A similar consistency to rice pudding can also be made by using more semolina and by baking, rather than boiling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strawberry ice cream</span> Flavor of ice cream

Strawberry ice cream is a flavor of ice cream made with strawberry or strawberry flavoring. It is made by blending in fresh strawberries or strawberry flavoring with the eggs, cream, vanilla, and sugar used to make ice cream. Most strawberry ice cream is colored pink or light red. Strawberry ice cream dates back at least to 1813, when it was served at the second inauguration of James Madison. Along with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, strawberry is one of the three flavors in Neapolitan ice cream. Variations of strawberry ice cream include strawberry cheesecake ice cream and strawberry ripple ice cream, which is vanilla ice cream with a ribbon of strawberry jam or syrup. Some ice cream sandwiches are prepared neapolitan-style, and include strawberry ice cream. According to a poll among American adults from July 13–18 of 2022, 43 percent of respondents stated that they enjoy strawberry ice cream while 6 percent stated that strawberry ice cream was their favorite flavor of ice cream. National Strawberry Ice Cream day is celebrated every year on January 15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwich cookie</span> Cookies kept by two thin cookies or biscuits with filling in between

A sandwich cookie, also known as a sandwich biscuit, is a type of cookie made from two thin cookies or medium cookies with a filling between them. Many types of fillings are used, such as cream, ganache, buttercream, chocolate, cream cheese, jam, peanut butter, lemon curd, or ice cream.

References

  1. "This is popularly known as a mixture of creams moulded together, as vanilla, strawberry, and pistachio." Ida C Bailey Allen (1929). Mrs. Allen on Cooking, Menus, Service. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Company. p. 691.
  2. Kalil, Frederick (17 September 2012). "We all scream for..." Tufts Now. Medford, Massachusetts: Tufts University. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  3. "The Classics: Neapolitan Ice Cream". Frostbite Nitrogen Ice Cream. 2019-05-19. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  4. Jungius, Louis Ferdinand (1839). Vollständige und umfassende theoretisch-praktische Anweisung der gesamten Kochkunst. Berlin: G. Reimer.
  5. Weir, Caroline; Weir, Robin (2010-12-28). Ice Creams, Sorbets & Gelati: The Definitive Guide. Grub Street Cookery. ISBN   978-1-909808-93-5.
  6. "Brooklyn Morals.—Those Wax Figures.", Walt Whitman's Selected Journalism, University of Iowa Press, pp. 86–87, doi:10.2307/j.ctt20p585k.36 , retrieved 2022-05-09
  7. Jeri Quinzio, Geraldine M. Quinzio (5 May 2009). books.google.ru "Of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making". University of California Press. ISBN   9780520942967 . Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  8. Lang, Jenifer Harvey (1988). Larousse Gastronomique. New York: Crown. p. 718. ISBN   0-517-57032-7.
  9. Mariani, John F. (1999). The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. New York: Lebhar-Friedman. pp.  163. ISBN   0-86730-784-6.
  10. Flexner, Stuart Berg (1979). I Hear America Talking. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp.  191. ISBN   0-671-24994-0.
  11. The New York Times; June 27 (1887). Thespians on a Frolic. p. 8.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. Marshall, A. B. (1885). The Book of Ices. pp.  18.
  13. Heritage, Lizzie (1894). Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book. London: Cassell and Company. p. 967.
  14. "Neapolitan cake". Queen Fine Foods.

Sources