How did ancient civilizations make ice cream? - Vivian Jiang

Summary

The script narrates the intriguing history of ice cream, from its origins as a luxury enjoyed by ancient elites to its evolution into a global phenomenon. It highlights the first recorded ice cream recipe by Neapolitan chef Antonio Latini in 1692 and its journey to America, where technological advancements democratized its consumption. The story also touches on the CIA's failed plot to poison Fidel Castro with a frozen pill and the rise of ice cream as a cultural staple, reflecting our enduring love for the dessert.

Takeaways

• 🕵️‍♂️ In 1963, two CIA agents attempted to poison Fidel Castro's chocolate milkshake with a pill that failed due to freezing to the freezer coils.
• 🍨 The history of cold desserts dates back to the first century, enjoyed by ancient Rome, Mughal India, and Tang dynasty China's royal elites.
• 🏔 Ancient methods to create ice treats included laborers harvesting glacial ice and 'sky cooling' in shallow pools radiating heat into the desert skies.
• 🍦 The modern cream-based ice cream was inspired by sherbet, an icy drink from Persia, which gained popularity in the Middle Ages.
• 📜 In 1692, Neapolitan chef Antonio Latini recorded a recipe for a milk-based version, considered by some as the first ice cream.
• 🚢 Ice cream recipes traveled to North America with European settlers in the 18th century, remaining a luxury for the upper classes.
• 💰 George Washington spent a significant amount on ice cream, equivalent to $6,600 today, highlighting its status as an elite treat.
• 🏭 The invention of the ice cream-making machine by Nancy Johnson in 1843 and the improvement of the ice trade by Frederic Tudor made ice cream more accessible.
• 🏙️ Italian immigrants selling ice cream on the streets and the combination of soda with ice cream at soda fountains contributed to its widespread popularity.
• 🍺 Prohibition in the 1920s led to saloons transforming into soda fountains and breweries producing ice cream, further increasing its availability.
• 🛒 Advancements in refrigeration technology by the end of World War II allowed the average American home to have a freezer for ice cream storage.
• 🚚 The development of freezer-equipped trucks enabled the distribution of frozen treats, making ice cream even more widely available.

Q & A

What was the alleged CIA plan involving Fidel Castro and a chocolate milkshake in 1963?

The CIA allegedly planned to poison Fidel Castro by placing a pill in his chocolate milkshake. However, the pill reportedly froze to the freezer coils and broke, which thwarted the plan.

How far back do the first accounts of cold desserts and iced drinks date?

The first accounts of cold desserts and iced drinks date back to the first century, with evidence of their consumption in ancient Rome, Mughal India, and Tang dynasty China.

Who were the main consumers of icy treats in ancient times?

In ancient times, icy treats were mainly enjoyed by the royal elites, such as wealthy Mediterranean nobility and ancient Persians.

What was the technique used by ancient Persians to freeze their delicacies?

Ancient Persians used a technique known as sky cooling, which involved building shallow insulated pools of water that would radiate heat into the night sky, causing them to freeze.

What is the origin of the term 'sherbet' and how did it influence the development of ice cream?

The term 'sherbet' or 'sharbat' originated in Persia and referred to an icy drink. European travelers brought these recipes home and started creating their own versions, which eventually led to the development of ice cream.

Who is credited with recording a recipe for a milk-based version of what is considered the first ice cream?

Antonio Latini, a Neapolitan chef, recorded a recipe for a milk-based version of what some historians consider the first ice cream in 1692.

How did the process of making ice cream become more accessible to the masses in the United States?

Inventors and entrepreneurs in the United States engineered ways to make ice cream more accessible. For example, Nancy Johnson patented an ice cream-making machine with a crank and beater in 1843, which simplified the process for home cooks.

What significant improvement in the ice trade was made by Frederic Tudor, known as the 'Ice King'?

Frederic Tudor greatly improved the ice trade by shipping thousands of tons of ice to households across the globe, making the storage of ice cream more feasible.

How did the political turmoil in the late 1880s impact the ice cream industry in cities like London, Glasgow, and New York?

Political turmoil in the late 1880s brought Italian immigrants to these cities, where many became street vendors selling ice cream licks for a penny each, contributing to the popularization of ice cream.

What was the role of soda fountains in the evolution of ice cream as a social treat?

Soda fountains emerged as a new social spot when American druggists combined soda, thought to have therapeutic properties, with ice cream. This was further popularized when the sale of alcohol was banned in 1920, leading many saloons to reinvent themselves as soda fountains.

How did the Prohibition era in the United States affect the ice cream industry?

During the Prohibition era, many American saloons transformed into soda fountains, and breweries like Anheuser-Busch and Yuengling started producing ice cream, contributing to the growth of the ice cream industry.

What technological advancement allowed the average American home to have a freezer for ice cream by the end of World War II?

Refrigeration technology improved rapidly, and by the end of World War II, the average American home had a freezer capable of storing a quart of ice cream.

Outlines

00:00

🕵️‍♂️ Assassination Attempt with a Frozen Twist

In 1963, two CIA agents attempted to poison Fidel Castro by placing a pill in his chocolate milkshake at the Havana Libre Hotel. The plan failed when the pill broke after freezing to the freezer coils. This story highlights the historical intrigue involving ice cream, which has been a part of world history and culture since the first century. Ancient civilizations enjoyed cold desserts, with methods of freezing them varying from harvesting glacial ice to using 'sky cooling' techniques in the desert.

🍦 The Evolution of Ice Cream: From Elites to Everyone

The modern ice cream was inspired by the Persian sherbet and gained popularity in medieval Europe. Antonio Latini's 1692 recipe is considered the first milk-based ice cream. In the 18th century, ice cream reached North America but was a luxury for the upper class due to its expensive ingredients and laborious preparation. George Washington's significant ice cream expenditure exemplifies its elite status. However, the invention of the ice cream-making machine by Nancy Johnson in 1843 and the improvements in ice trade by Frederic Tudor made ice cream more accessible to the masses.

🏭 The Industrial Revolution of Ice Cream

The late 19th century saw Italian immigrants selling ice cream on the streets of major cities, while American druggists combined soda with ice cream, creating the soda fountain as a new social hub. The Prohibition era led to saloons transforming into soda fountains and breweries shifting to ice cream production. Advances in refrigeration technology by the end of World War II allowed for home freezers and mobile freezer trucks, making ice cream a common household treat.

🌐 The Global Love Affair with Ice Cream

Today, ice cream continues to evolve and take on new forms. Despite some unsolved mysteries surrounding its history, the enduring love for ice cream is a constant, reflecting its global appeal and the joy it brings to people across the world.

Keywords

💡CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the foreign intelligence service of the United States, which is responsible for gathering and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals to support the president and senior policymakers in making informed decisions regarding national security. In the video's narrative, the CIA is mentioned in the context of a historical attempt to poison Fidel Castro, highlighting the role of covert operations in shaping political events.

💡Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008. He is a significant figure in the video script as it discusses an alleged CIA plot to assassinate him using a poison pill in his chocolate milkshake, showcasing the lengths to which political powers might go to eliminate adversaries.

💡Ice cream

Ice cream is a sweet frozen food typically made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavors. It is central to the video's theme, illustrating the historical and cultural significance of ice cream. The script mentions various historical accounts and innovations related to ice cream, from its origins to its modern-day ubiquity.

💡Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome refers to the period of the Roman civilization from its mythical founding in 753 BC to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. In the context of the video, Ancient Rome is one of the civilizations where the first accounts of cold desserts and iced drinks were enjoyed, mainly by the royal elites, indicating the long-standing tradition of frozen treats in human history.

💡Persian

Persian refers to the people, culture, and language of Iran, historically known as Persia. The script mentions ancient Persians as innovators in the creation of cold desserts, using techniques like sky cooling to freeze treats in the desert environment. This showcases the ingenuity of different cultures in the pursuit of culinary delights.

💡Sherbet

Sherbet, or sharbat in Arabic, is an icy drink believed to have originated in Persia. It is significant in the video as it is the precursor to the modern ice cream. The script describes how European travelers brought sherbet recipes back to their homeland, leading to the development of various flavors and eventually the milk-based ice cream we know today.

💡Neapolitan

Neapolitan refers to the culture, cuisine, and dialect of the city of Naples in Italy. Antonio Latini, a Neapolitan chef, is credited in the script with recording a recipe for a milk-based version of sherbet, which some historians consider the first ice cream. This highlights the contribution of Italian cuisine to the evolution of ice cream.

💡George Washington

George Washington was the first President of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers. The script mentions him as an avid consumer of ice cream, spending a significant amount of money on it in one summer, illustrating the dessert's popularity and the luxury associated with it during the 18th century.

💡Ice cream-making machine

An ice cream-making machine is a device used to churn and freeze ingredients to create ice cream. The script discusses the invention of such a machine by Nancy Johnson in 1843, which featured a crank and beater, making the process of making ice cream more accessible to home cooks and contributing to its widespread popularity.

💡Ice King

The 'Ice King' was a nickname given to Frederic Tudor, a New England businessman who revolutionized the ice trade in the early 19th century. The script describes how Tudor improved the ice trade by shipping large quantities of ice to households globally, making the storage and consumption of ice cream more feasible and contributing to its widespread availability.

💡Soda fountain

A soda fountain is a device or establishment that serves carbonated water and other beverages, often mixed with syrups to create sodas. The script mentions the soda fountain as a social spot where soda, believed to have therapeutic properties, was combined with ice cream, creating a new trend and contributing to the cultural significance of ice cream in American society.

Highlights

In 1963, two CIA agents attempted to poison Fidel Castro's chocolate milkshake with a pill that froze and broke in the freezer, thwarting the assassination plan.

Early accounts of cold desserts and iced drinks date back to the first century in ancient civilizations like Rome, Mughal India, and Tang dynasty China.

Wealthy Mediterranean nobility harvested glacial ice and snow from mountains, while ancient Persians used 'sky cooling' to freeze treats.

The cream-based ice cream treat was inspired by sherbet, an icy drink from Persia that gained popularity in the Middle Ages.

In 1692, Neapolitan chef Antonio Latini recorded a recipe for a milk-based version, considered by some as the first ice cream.

Ice cream recipes traveled to North America with European settlers in the 18th century but remained a luxury for the upper classes due to expensive ingredients and laborious preparation.

George Washington spent the equivalent of $6,600 on ice cream in one summer, highlighting its status as a luxury item.

Inventors and entrepreneurs in America developed ice cream-making machines and improved ice trade, making the dessert more accessible to the masses.

Nancy Johnson patented a revolutionary ice cream-making machine with a crank and beater in 1843, simplifying the process for home cooks.

Frederic Tudor, known as the 'Ice King', revolutionized the ice trade, enabling the widespread distribution of ice for preserving ice cream.

Italian immigrants selling ice cream on the streets for a penny each became a common sight in cities like London, Glasgow, and New York in the late 1880s.

The combination of soda and ice cream at soda fountains became a popular social spot, especially during Prohibition when saloons transformed into soda fountains.

Breweries like Anheuser-Busch and Yuengling began producing ice cream during Prohibition when alcohol sales were banned.

Refrigeration technology advancements by the end of World War II allowed the average American home to have a freezer for storing ice cream.

Ice cream trucks equipped with freezers became a common sight, bringing frozen treats to every street corner.

The love for ice cream continues to grow, with the dessert taking on new forms and remaining a beloved treat worldwide.

Transcripts

On a hot spring afternoon in 1963,

two men, sent by the American CIA,

snuck into the cafeteria of the Havana Libre Hotel.

Their directive was to retrieve a poison pill from the freezer

and slip it into the chocolate milkshake of Fidel Castro,

the Cuban leader who was known to devour up to 18 scoops of ice cream after lunch.

While exact details of the story are contested, it's rumored that the pill,

however, froze to the freezer coils and broke,

foiling the CIA’s plan and granting Castro many more days to satiate his sweet tooth.

Ice cream has held a unique role in our world’s history, culture, and cravings—

but where did it come from?

The first accounts of cold desserts and iced drinks date back

as early as the first century.

In civilizations including ancient Rome, Mughal India, and Tang dynasty China,

these icy treats were mainly enjoyed by the royal elites.

And finding the means to freeze these delicacies wasn’t always easy.

Wealthy Mediterranean nobility sent laborers to trek up high mountains

to harvest glacial ice and snow.

Meanwhile, ancient Persians built shallow insulated pools of water

and utilized a technique known as sky cooling.

At night, the shallow pools would naturally radiate heat

into the dry desert skies,

causing them to dip below the ambient temperature and freeze.

Yet the cream-based treat we know today made a much later debut.

It was originally inspired by sherbet, or sharbat in Arabic,

an icy drink believed to have originated in Persia,

and subsequently gained popularity in the Middle Ages.

European travelers brought sharbat recipes home,

and began creating their own chocolate, pinecone,

and even eggplant flavored takes on the refreshment.

In 1692, Antonio Latini, a Neapolitan chef,

recorded a recipe for a unique milk-based version,

which some historians dub the first ice cream.

In the 18th century, ice cream expanded its reach

as these recipes set sail alongside European settlers to North America.

Yet it was still mainly enjoyed by the upper classes

as the process to make it was quite laborious,

and its main ingredients— sugar, salt, and cream— were expensive.

George Washington is said to have spent the equivalent of $6,600

in today’s dollars on ice cream in one summer alone.

It was on American soil that the frozen dessert entered its golden age,

as inventors and entrepreneurs began to engineer ways to bring it to the masses.

In Philadelphia in 1843, Nancy Johnson patented

a revolutionary ice cream-making machine featuring a crank and beater,

which made the process easier for any home cook.

And storing ice cream was no longer an obstacle, as by the mid-1830s,

New England businessman “Ice King” Frederic Tudor

had greatly improved the ice trade,

shipping thousands of tons of ice to households across the globe.

Soon, ice cream was on every street corner.

In the late 1880s, political turmoil brought Italian immigrants to cities

like London, Glasgow, and New York,

where many took up jobs as street vendors selling licks of ice cream

for roughly a penny each.

Meanwhile, American druggists discovered the appeal of combining soda,

a drink thought to have therapeutic properties at the time,

with ice cream,

and a new social spot was born: the soda fountain.

When the sale of alcohol was banned in 1920,

many American saloons reinvented themselves as soda fountains,

and breweries like Anheuser-Busch and Yuengling

pivoted to producing ice cream.

At the same time, refrigeration technology was improving rapidly.

By the end of World War II,

the average American home had a freezer that could house a quart of ice cream.

Even trucks could be equipped with freezers full of frozen treats.

Today, ice cream continues to take on new forms.

And while some of its mysteries may never be solved,

one thing is certain: our love for ice cream will never thaw.