Ice cream, the origin of which is not known and which has dozens of varieties, is one of the favorite tastes for the people of all ages around the world. Loved by almost everyone thanks to their refreshing effect and diverse flavorings; ice creams are among the essential tastes particularly for hot summer months.
So, let’s take a look at some ice cream varieties.
Karsambaç (Ice Slush), which is very common in the Anatolian lands in Turkiye, can be accepted as one of the ancestors of ice cream. This flavor, also known as karma, karlama and snow halvah, is an ice slush created by adding mixtures such as tahini, molasses, cherry sherbet and orange juice to the freshly-fallen snow or grated ice in the winter.
Surely, there are some types in Italy similar to the Turkish Karsambaç and Bici Bici. Sorbetto or sorbet is a frozen fruit puree that does not contain milk in it. This frozen dessert, which is created by combining sugar and water with various flavorings, has spread to the world in addition to many regions in Italy.
Originated from Sicily, granita is actually a kind of sorbet, but it has a more crystalline texture in Sicily. It is made by combining sugar and water with various flavorings. It is even said that people grow as many as 400 different species of flowers to diversify the taste of this frozen dessert.
A 100% Roman Taste: Grattachecca
Grattachecca is another variety of karsambaç, bici bici, sorbet and granita, which are recognized as the ancestors of ice cream! It is a flavor that the locals living in Rome prefer instead of ice cream to refresh during hot summer days. With its taste milder than gelato; this refreshing drink is made by mixing various syrups or fruits with ice.
Gelato:
Derived from the Latin word “gelatus” meaning frozen, which is also very popular in Turkiye, and obtained by mixing the ingredients at a slow speed; the creamy gelato is more dense and thicker than all other ice cream varieties. This is the reason why we can get the taste of the fruits precisely. Another characteristic of gelato is that it contains very little amount of air, and its fat and sugar ratio is by 50 to 60% less than the other ice creams.
Let’s continue to look at other popular ice cream varieties.
Sundae, which is one of the most common ice cream varieties in the USA, is a creamy variety served with sauces and syrups. The sale of ice cream soda was prohibited on Sundays by the clergy in the town of Evanston. For this reason, syrup was started to be used instead of soda in its recipe, and its name became Sundae.
The Japanese Mochi ice creams are single-bite frozen fillings obtained by beating rice dough until it reaches the consistency of a gum. The soft rice balls traditionally contain vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The prepared fillings are coated with potatoes and corn starches to prevent sticking.
Kulfi, an Indian ice cream, is the most traditional type of stick ice creams. It is quite popular in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The reason why it is more dense and creamy than ice cream is that it is obtained without whipping. The custard-like Kulfi is mostly flavored with mango, rose, cardamom, saffron and pistachios. It takes a bit longer to melt due to its consistency.
Today, Bastani Sonnati is an Iranian ice cream. Bastani Sonnati, which is placed between wafer halva, is made with milk, sugar, eggs, rose water, saffron, vanilla and pistachios. Sometimes salep is also added to it.
Everything has a special day, what about ice cream?
The third Sunday of July is celebrated as Ice Cream Day every year.
