History Of Vanilla Ice Cream
So, who do we have to praise for this tasty and incredible creation? Well, you need to start by understanding the origins of both vanilla and ice cream first! Ice cream can be traced back to the 14th century. There is evidence that ice cream was served during the Yuan period in the Mogul Court.
The idea of using a mix of salt and ice for the refrigerating effect, though, began in Asia. The method then spread when the Moors and Arabs traveled to Spain, between 711 and 1492.
The Italians became involved in making ice cream once this method had spread to Europe. By the early 18th century, there were recipes for ice cream in France as well. The French added egg yolks or egg to the recipe to create a richer and smoother food.
Vanilla was first used amongst people from Mexico. By the 1500s, Spanish conquistadors, who were exploring present-day Mexico, had come across Meso-American individuals who were consuming vanilla in their foods and drinks. Because of this, the conquistadors brought vanilla back to Spain.
In Spain, they started using vanilla to flavor a chocolate drink that consisted of honey, water, corn, vanilla, and cacao beans.
The drink eventually spread to England and France, and then the rest of Europe by the early 1600s. In 1602, the apothecary of Queen Elizabeth I, Hugh Morgan, suggested that vanilla should be used separately from cocoa.
When this happened, the French really started to use vanilla in drinks and foods without cacao, and they started to flavor ice cream with it.
When Thomas Jefferson discovered vanilla ice cream in France, he brought the recipe back to the United States with him, where the natural color of the ice cream was brown.
