The story of ice-cream

Although ice-cream is thought to be a typical Italian dessert, it originates from China. But in those times, it was rather like sorbets today, made of ice and fruits. It had an adventurous journey to Europe, but borderlines could not stop its spreading, and its popularity is still unbroken. Nowadays, only the nominal debates around dosage can cause some puzzling. Apart from that, you can have a scoop, a ball, a lick or a spatula of it with pleasure.

The first ice-cream recipe was owing to Marco Polo, because he brought several ones with him when he returned from his Chinese journey. Allegedly, it was Bernardo Buontalenti, who made the first real ice-cream in 1600 for the wedding of King Henry IV of France and Marie de’ Medici. It was made of snow, salt, lemon, sugar, milk and egg white.

The first stall of the icy dessert was at a café in Paris, and its maker was an Italian confectioner of course. The stall was open during summer and only lemon ice-cream was available. They could meet then the first obstacle of spreading it because its continuous cooling was not solved yet.

Ice-cream arrived in Hungary via Austria, nevertheless certain sources mention that it had already appeared in King Matthias’ court owing to Queen Beatrice. The fact is that the Transylvanian cook book Szakáts mesterségnek könyvecskéje (1698) contains several ice-cream recipes in Hungarian language. The first ice-cream machines were propelled manually, usually by servants. There was a drum filled with the refrigerating mixture of salt and ice holding a smaller drum in which the mush-ice was being stirred. When refrigerators appeared, the earlier impediment ceased and the fear of stomach infection was also gone.

Still some news about ice-cream poisoning occurred, for example about the legendary Jégbüfé (Ice Buffet), which was famous (and later infamous) not only for its waffles and cakes but also for its delicious ice-cream. During the 1950s, the wooden cabinets of the confectionery filled with real ice were stored in the cellar, and the cellar was full of rats, just like everywhere else in the city centre of Budapest. Thus, rat poison got into the ice-cream that caused mass poisoning.
As of the 20^th century, the industrial ice-cream production has conquered the market: the artisan technology has been changed by the automated ice-cream fabrication (from ice-cream powder, milk powder, water, artificial flavourings and additives). However, artisan ice-cream stalls have not disappeared either. You can have gluten-free or lavender ice-cream, or a cooling icy dessert from the Albanian bakery, the main thing is diversity.

TÉ
Translated by Zita Aknai

Recommendation

Past and present of the beach food movement at Lake Balaton

All of us, Hungarians have experiences of the gastronomy at Lake Balaton: about the retro hamburgers, the Hungaricum ‘langosh’ (lángos) and the present beach food gastro-revolution too. The catering of Balaton beaches is so much a determinative segment of the Hungarian culture that even cult films were made about it: Zimmer Feri (by Péter Tímár) or Szezon (by Ferenc Török). In our exhibition we are going to review how an impoverished region became the most popular holiday location in nearly a hundred years and how we got from the langosh-frying huts to the culinary delights served on the coolest terraces of the country.

Legendary confectioneries – the Ruszwurm

There is a street in the Buda Castle, where you can find both beautiful things to see and delicious things to eat. The confectionery is a listed monument and its supply is legendary. The latest part of our series is introducing the Ruszwurm confectionery.

From self-service to fast food restaurants

Short lunch-time, half portions, street food – are they familiar? The transformation of our eating habits did not start yesterday. The traditional way of eating is often confined to the time of feasts, due to lack of time. How did the special system of self-service units reach our country, and what was the first Hungarian fast food restaurant chain like? This week, we are going to be nostalgic again, but don’t start browsing with an empty stomach.

Some like it hot – Coffee in black and white

’It is coffee that makes people’s day living around me nicer.’ Many of us feel the same way. In the latest decades, it became an essential motor of our modern world. It wakes you up in the morning, it shakes you up during the day, and you have it when chatting with old friends whom you have not seen for ages. It has very important social and economic roles, and its effects on health are researched in several aspects. But do you know it indeed?

Willy Wonka in Szerencs

The favourite dessert of us all, the chocolate stands in the focus of our weekly exhibition. One of the most beloved sweets got into Europe from the land of the Aztecs just a couple of centuries ago. It is the trump ace at celebrations; normally the birthday cake also contains it, Santa Claus and the Easter Rabbit also bring chocolates in their own shapes, and its mass gets the heart form on Valentin’s Day.

Myths, legends and a bit of history – The second cup of coffee

This week we are having another dip in the coffee stream. In the first cup, there was a pinch of plantation, a dash of roasting and some fine grinding. Finally, we got a cup of hot drink with gentle taste with the aid of some hot water, according to our demands. Now, we are going to flick in the world of history and legends, brisked by the stimulant effect of coffee.

More thematic virtual exhibitions