Various types of ice cream in many fill kiosks in the summer. Even the most picky sweet tooth will find among them a suitable treat for themselves. Meanwhile, the traditions of this business have developed in our country not ten years ago. Industrial production originated in the 30s of the last century. Soviet ice cream was famous all over the world. Now things are a little different. What are the types of ice cream, what is the history of goodies, and what is the peculiarity of modern products - this will be discussed in the article.
Ancient delicacy
Researchers of the issue note that the tradition of serving frozen delicacy originated about 5 thousand years ago. Of course, for such a distant past from us, such a treat was something surprising, since then no one even dreamed about refrigerators. For the preparation of desserts resembling modern ice cream, ice and snow were used. And often they had to be brought from remote mountain areas.
In China, ice cream was known 2 thousand years before our era. It was prepared from a mixture of ice, snow and pieces of fruit. The recipe and method of storing goodies was kept secret until the 11th century BC, when it was revealed on the pages of the collection of ancient songs “Shi-king”.
In ancient Rome, during the time of Nero, snow was brought from alpine glaciers to prepare cold fruit juices. Special structures were built for its storage. The recipe for soft drinks was described in the book by Marc Gabius Apicius, a culinary specialist who lived in the Holy Roman Empire during the time of Tiberius.
Ice cream penetrates medieval Europe through the efforts of Marco Polo. The famous traveler tried a cold treat in China and hastened to tell his compatriots about it. So ice cream begins to conquer Italy, France and Germany.
The history of ice cream in our country
In our country, there have never been problems with snow and ice. Culinary historians note that in Kievan Rus often milk was put on the table, frozen and finely sliced. In some areas Shrovetide was served at Shrovetide in almost iced cottage cheese, raisins, sour cream and sugar.
Later, during the time of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, ice cream was included in the menu of the festive table. Cold treats were then made in small quantities. With the improvement of technology, the volume of ice cream produced increased. The first machine for its preparation in Russia appeared in the XIX century.
Ice cream in the USSR
The history of the famous Soviet ice cream began in the thirties of the last century. Then the People’s Commissar of Food was Alexei Anastasovich Mikoyan. He argued that a cold treat should be available to all residents of the country. At the time, the United States was ahead of the rest in terms of ice cream production per year. Mikoyan went there to get the necessary equipment and knowledge. It so happened that all types of ice cream in the USSR arose on the basis of American technology.
Production was launched in 1937. All ice cream passed strict quality control and had an unusually short shelf life by modern standards - one week. The composition of the goodies included only natural ingredients.
Types of ice cream in the USSR: photos
In terms of production, the country quickly moved into second place in the world after the United States. In the USSR, ice cream was sold by weight and packaged. At the stalls, the treat was snapped up instantly. There you could buy “Creamy” in a glass, they offered jam or chocolate chips as a filler. The famous Soviet ice-cream, which is often sighed about today, was served in a cafe in the form of balls on a metal ice cream maker. Everyone had a favorite type of treat: chocolate, cream, creme brulee, fruit, popsicle.
There were unique types of ice cream in the Soviet Union. The name of one of them is well known to modern sweet tooth. "Gourmand" was very popular. For its production, a special nozzle was invented, which allowed to apply chocolate icing in a stream, and not by dipping. Also nowhere, except in the USSR, did they produce waffle cups decorated with a cream rose (ice cream cake). There was a cold delicacy with tomato filling in the country. It seemed to some to be very tasty, but someone still spits at the mention of this culinary masterpiece. The Eskimo "Chestnut" was in great demand. It was hard to find - instantly sold out - and impossible to forget. In addition to taste, “Chestnut” was remembered for secular sweet tooth with chocolate icing, which did not crumble and crumble with every bite.
The secret of taste
All types of ice cream, the photo and name of which are given above, were popular not only in the country, but also abroad. The secret of a breathtaking taste was simple - only natural ingredients, the strictest quality control and a sufficiently high fat content. The last point distinguished Soviet ice cream from foreign counterparts is particularly noticeable.
Modern types of ice cream: name in Russia
Today, in our country, ice cream is loved no less than during the Soviet Union. However, many changes occurred in its production. Finding a cold treat with a short shelf life, that is, only with natural ingredients in the composition, is not an easy task these days. In pursuit of cheaper production, ice cream is made using vegetable fats and various preservatives. Classical ice cream types can be found today, however, as a rule, they are more expensive than their "palm" competitors.
Cold treats based on animal fats are divided into several types:
milk with a small amount of fat - about 2.8-3.5%;
creamy contains more milk fat - up to 10%;
ice cream is the fattest type of ice cream (up to 15%, the fattest varieties - up to 20%).
The main types of cold treats include fruit and berry, made from fruits and berries, as well as their processed products. Aromatic ice cream as the main ingredient includes sugar, as well as stabilizers, food acids and aromatic essences.
Huge selection
When additional ingredients are added to the basic composition, new types of ice cream appear: chocolate, creme brulee, coffee and nut. Fruit-berry varies depending on the main product in the composition for raspberry, strawberry, cherry and so on. Many times increase the assortment and a variety of glazes, sprinkles and decorations.
There are so-called amateur types of ice cream. They are produced in much smaller quantities than the main ones. In addition, there are varieties of cold treats for special purposes. These include ice cream with a sweetener, suitable for diabetics, as well as a treat enriched with oxygen (“Cheerfulness”), and with the addition of table wine.
Packing
In our market, small-packaged and bulk ice cream is in the greatest demand. The latter is especially honored on hot summer days. Popsicles are quickly sold out - this is the key to its freshness, and crisp cups determine the choice in its favor.
Bulk ice cream, cakes and rolls, less popular. Experts note that it is more common for residents of Russia to eat a cold treat on the street, on the way somewhere. We are much less likely to choose ice cream cake as a dessert to complete the festive meal than the Americans do. Therefore, it’s the small-packaged types of ice cream that are popular with us. The name in the horns, briquettes and glasses of the produced treats can be completely different. However, the “heart” of any ice cream is creamy, ice cream, fruit or aromatic. And there are a lot of options for small packing of cold treats:
briquettes, with waffles, glaze or without them;
in waffle cones, tubes or cups;
cylinders in film or glaze;
on a shelf;
ice cream cake;
in plastic and paper cups;
in boxes.
Consistency Views
Cold treats also vary in degree of freezing. It is hardened and soft. The first type of production after preparation passes the stage of freezing to -18º or lower. This ice cream is stored longer and has a high hardness.
Soft treats are prepared at public catering facilities. Its shelf life is much shorter. Most often, such ice cream is eaten immediately after manufacture. It is the soft look of cold treats that are sold by weight in the summer.
Types of ice cream, photos of which are given in the article, are constantly updated with new products. Each factory seeks to create a unique taste, experimenting with ingredients, and custom design. Familiar varieties often fall into mass production, and exotic ones can be found in cafes and restaurants, whose chefs are working on the development of new recipes and decoration options for everyone's favorite treats. Tea-based ice cream with champagne and cognac, fried, savory, decorated with gold plates - the range is limited only by the chef’s imagination.