Before there was a refrigerator, how did people make ice cream cups to cool off in the hot summer?

Today, ice cream is a familiar dessert in many countries around the world. Although ice cream sounds like a delicacy from the modern era, when electricity and technology were developed, this famous sweet actually started appearing hundreds of years ago.

Ice cream existed before the refrigerator was invented

In the 200s AD, people were able to enjoy the original forms of frozen food. The heads of state at that time were the first followers of this dish such as Alexander the Great, famous for his love of honey shaved snow, King Solomon in the Bible or Emperor Nero Caesar all loved this dish. This "sweet snow".

However, the appearance of ice cream was first recorded in China when they figured out how to pour snow into a bowl, then mix it with milk to create this delicious dish. However, it was not until the 17th century that ice cream made from milk, butter combined with fruits was really born.

Portrait of Alexander the Great, one of those who loved "eating ice cream"

Because there was no electrical or refrigeration equipment like today, making a cool ice cream cup was not easy at that time. Of course, only kings and wealthy nobles could enjoy this luxurious dish. Even King Charles I of England once offered to pay his chef 500 pounds/year (equivalent to 14 million VND in current face value) to keep the ice cream recipe secret from everyone.

Harvesting ice is the first step to making ice cream

To make ice cream, workers must first harvest ice and store ice blocks from the winter in specially designed cellars for insulation.

Once there is ice, the chefs will proceed to make ice cream by whisking milk, butter and fruits such as lemon, strawberry or vanilla to create a delicious smooth paste. The mixture is then placed in a cylindrical metal vessel placed in a wooden plank bucket. On the lid of the bucket there is a handle with gears to rotate the jar inside.

Close-up of the ancient ice cream machine

In the space between the metal vessel and the wooden barrel, ice and salt are poured to create a reaction that reduces the temperature to below -20 degrees Celsius or even lower.

The handle will be rotated continuously for a long time so that the cream mixture inside the metal jar is evenly frozen. During this process, the chefs will constantly have to scrape the frozen mixture off the surfaces to get the desired creamy consistency.

After completing the above steps, they will scoop out the ice cream and put it in a hinged pewter mold to create a beautiful shape for the dish. When served, ice cream will be decorated with fruits, colorful syrup and a few herbs such as mint, cinnamon, .

Making delicious ice cream is not an easy thing

Today, to meet the growing needs of ice cream production and business, ice cream machines have been improved with superior technology. There are devices that make super speed ice cream in just a few minutes with automatic AZ mode including cleaning after making ice cream. This mouthwatering dessert is now also available in a variety of interesting colors, flavors and shapes. After a few hundred years, the only thing that has not changed is people's love for ice cream.