Matcha And Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Ice cream is a universal favorite on a hot summer day and nobody can deny it. Nothing cools you down and brings comfort on a sweltering day, quite like ice cream does. What’s remarkable, is the history of ice cream spans worldwide and over many centuries. This is my latest creation; matcha and dark chocolate ice cream, consider it a modern twist, on an old favorite, that’s addictive.

The Invention of Ice Cream

The emperors of the Tang Dynasty are believed to have been the first to eat frozen milk-like confection. Made with cow, goat, or buffalo milk, this first “ice cream” was heated and mixed with flour, and camphor was added for flavor and texture. The mixture was placed in metal tubes and stored in an ice pool until frozen.

In medieval times, Arabs drank an icy refreshment called sherbet, (or sharabt in Arabic). These chilled drinks were typically flavored with cherry, pomegranate, or quince. Over time, the drinks became popular with the Europeans and Italians.

Antonio Latini

In the 17th century, iced drinks were made into frozen desserts. With the addition of sugar, sorbetto (known more commonly as sorbet) was created. Antonio Latini is the first person to write down a recipe for sorbetto. Latini also created a milk-based sorbet, considered by culinary historians to be the first official ice cream.

The Father of Gelato

In 1686, a Sicilian named Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli opened the well-known café in Paris (Café Procope) where many famous intellectuals, such as  Benjamin Franklin and  Napoleon frequented. This café introduced gelato, (the Italian version of sorbet), to the public. It was served in small porcelain bowls resembling egg cups. Procopio later became known as the Father of Italian Gelato.

Around the same time, the French began experimenting with a frozen dessert called fromage. French confectioner Nicolas Audiger, wrote several fromage recipes made from ice flavored with fruit as well as one that included cream, sugar, and orange flower water. Audiger suggested stirring ice during the freezing process to introduce air and create a fluffier texture. Although fromage is the name for cheese in French, it was not an ingredient. But fromage may refer to the cheese molds used to freeze the ice cream.

It is impossible to say how ice cream reached America, but it likely arrived with European settlers in the early 1700s. By this time, several books on confectionery had been produced and included recipes for ices and ice cream and housewives began making them at home. And in 1790, the first ice cream parlor opened in New York.

America’s Love of Ice Cream

Ice cream is one of the most popular desserts in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans consume an average of 23 gallons of ice cream each year. Vanilla is the most popular flavor in America and accounts for 26 percent of the country’s ice cream sales. But according to a recent study, we seem to be branching out flavor-wise, and including more adventurous flavors such as rocky road, coffee, birthday cake, and green tea.

This matcha and dark chocolate ice cream is a more modern flavor that I simply adore. Made using the same Matcha KariI used in my match smoothie bowl, this ice cream has a smooth, creamy texture, and mild matcha flavor which is complimented by the dark chocolate swirled within. You can easily adjust the match quantity based on your preference, making this a great matcha introduction recipe.