The U.S. is officially in the dog days of summer, which coincidently occurs throughout National Ice Cream month – July! Mmm….ice cream. Who doesn’t love this cold, tasty treat while lounging with friends and family in the hot, hot sun? In honor of National Ice Cream month, we took a look at how this dessert is served all around the world.
In China, the dessert most similar to ice cream is called 绿豆沙 (lǜdòushā). This treat is made of mung beans that are made into a paste and boiled with milk and sugar. This is most popular in Southern China and many people there enjoy typical flavors – chocolate, mango and coffee – and some not so typical flavors – black sesame and red beans. Some say the Chinese were the originators of this frozen dessert, as Marco Polo brought it back to Italy from a visit to China.
In Argentina, ice cream – or helado – is served at heladerías – or ice cream parlors. It can have a cream or water base in a variety of flavors, but the most popular flavor is dulce de leche. This flavor has traveled the world and gained popularity in many other cultures. In addition to serving ice cream on cones and in cups, Argentines offer other delicious ice cream-based treats, including Bombón Suizo (photo below) and Bombón Escocés. These are either chocolate or vanilla ice cream, with dulce de leche and covered in either chocolate or white chocolate and nuts.
In Iran, فالوده (Faloodeh) is the Persian variation of ice cream. It is a sorbet that is made from thin vermicelli noodles frozen with corn starch, rose water, lime juice and ground pistachios. Faloodeh (photo below) also inspired a popular summer drink the Middle East, called falooda.
The popular treat in Italy is gelato – a well-known and well-loved dessert even outside of Italy. The main differentiation from ice cream is that gelato contains less percentage of fat in the ingredients. Before the cone, street vendors served this treat in a penny lick (glass dish) or a hokey-pokey (waxed paper).
In Japan, people love a special kind of ice cream treat – Mochi. Mochi (photo below) is made from pounded sticky rice and is filled with ice cream. They are packed in small, round balls and dusted with corn starch. The most popular flavors are matcha (green tea), vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and azuki (red bean).
Tell us in the comments below: Which of these do you want right now?
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