January 24 marks the «sweet» holiday — International Eskimo Pie Day. The date for its establishment was chosen because it was on this day in 1922 that the owner of a sweets store in Onawa (Iowa, USA), Christian Nelson, received a patent for a popsicle.
Eskimo — is a creamy ice cream on a stick, covered with chocolate glaze. Although its history goes back several millennia (there is an opinion that already in Ancient Rome, Emperor Nero allowed himself such a cold dessert), the birthday of popsicles is considered to be January 24. And, of course, popsicle — is not just ice cream, the love for which many have retained for life, it is a symbol of carefree summer days, the taste of childhood...
Who and when «exposed the » popsicle, who came up with the idea of inserting a wand into it, where did its name come from... Few people know, and there are a huge number of versions and disputes around these historical events. According to one of the most common, the author of this type of ice cream is a certain pastry chef Christian Nelson, who came up with the idea of covering a briquette of creamy ice cream with chocolate glaze. And he called it «Eskimo Pie» (Eskimo pie). This happened in 1919, and three years later he received a patent for this «invention».
The word «eskimo» itself, again according to one version, came from the French, who called this a children's overalls that looked like an Eskimo suit. Therefore, ice cream, «dressed» in a tightly fitting chocolate « overalls», by analogy, was called popsicle.
It must also be said that this first popsicle was without the wooden stick — of its current unchanged attribute, and acquired it only in 1934. Although it is difficult to say what comes first — popsicle or stick. Some adhere to the version that the primary stick is in ice cream. And they are based on the fact that a certain Frank Epperson, who once left a glass of lemonade in the cold, where there was a stirring stick, after some time discovered an ice fruit cylinder with a frozen stick, which was very convenient to eat. So, in 1905, he began preparing frozen lemonades on a stick, and then this idea was picked up by popsicle manufacturers.
Eskimo — is not just ice cream, it is a symbol of carefree summer days... (Photo: PonomarenkoNataly, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
Be that as it may, a new type of ice cream was presented to the world, and by the mid-1930s, popsicles had gained fans in many countries and are not losing their enormous popularity today.
By the way, the popsicles have the largest number of fans in Russia. It appeared in the Soviet Union back in 1937, it is believed, on the personal initiative of the People's Commissar of Food of the USSR Anastas Mikoyan, who believed that a Soviet citizen should eat at least 5 kg in a year (!) ice cream. Thus, originally produced as a delicacy for amateurs, it changed its status and was classified as a « high-calorie and fortified refreshing product, which also has therapeutic and dietary properties». Mikoyan also insisted that ice cream should become a mass food product and be produced at affordable prices.
The production of popsicles specifically was put on an industrial footing, first only in Moscow —. In 1937, the first largest ice cream factory at that time with a capacity of 25 tons per day was put into operation at Moscow Refrigeration Plant No. 8 (before that, ice cream was produced using the handicraft method). Then a wide advertising campaign was held in the capital about a new type of ice cream — popsicles. Very quickly, these glazed ice cream cylinders on a stick became a favorite delicacy for both children and adults.
Soon, cold storage plants and popsicle production workshops appeared in other Soviet cities. At first it was manufactured on a manual dosing machine, and only after the Great Patriotic War, in 1947, the first industrial «eskimo generator» of the carousel type appeared (at Moskhladokombinat number 8), which made it possible to significantly increase the volume of popsicles produced.
Over time, the type and composition of the popsicle changed (Photo: Renata Osinska, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
We must also pay tribute to product quality control; popsicles were made from high-grade cream — and this is precisely the phenomenon of Soviet ice cream. Any deviation from taste, color or smell was considered a defect. In addition, the sales period for ice cream was limited to one week, unlike the modern few months. By the way, Soviet ice cream was loved not only in their homeland; more than 2 thousand tons of the product were exported annually.
Later, the composition and appearance of the popsicle changed, glazed cylinders were replaced by ovals, parallelepipeds and other figures, and the ice cream itself began to be made not only from cream, but also from milk or its derivatives. The composition of the — glaze also changed; natural chocolate was replaced by glazes with vegetable fats and dyes. The list of popsicle manufacturers has also expanded. Therefore, today everyone can choose their favorite popsicle from a wide list of food products on the market.
But, regardless of preferences, on International Eskimo Day, all lovers of this delicacy can eat it with a special meaning, thus celebrating this holiday. The main thing to remember is that according to the current GOST in Russia, popsicles can only be on a stick and in glaze, otherwise it is not popsicles.
By the way, you don’t have to buy this cold delicacy in the — store; you can make it at home using simple and healthy products. Recipes for homemade popsicles are not at all complicated, and are available even to inexperienced cooks.
• Infographics — poster «January 24 — International Eskimo» Day
• Story «Skimo of discord»