A Short History of Ice-Cream in Vienna
It may be a bold statement which will undoubtedly raise a few objections, but it seems to me that ice-cream is one of those rare confections which appeals to almost everyone, of every age and every flavour-preference.
Anyone who has even a hint of a sweet-toothand a desire to raise their blood-sugar levels post-supper will rarely reject the offer of this frozen treat. Unlike its more serious, sophisticated or flashy ‘Nachspeise Verwanten’, ice-cream holds its own amongst the dessert line-up through the simplicity of preparation, ease of portability and nostalgia-factor – reliving the simple pleasure of enjoying the earliest treat of childhood. Ice-cream also has the advantage of lending itself to a little adventure, especially if one has the opportunity to go to an ice-cream parlour to seek out your creamy concoction. A leisurely stroll with an ice-cream, accompanied by family or friends is just the ticket of an evening.
It is believed that this simple frozen treat was already enjoyed by the Ancient Romans, but it wasn’t until the 17th century that its popularity took off in the form as we now know it. In Austria, the first proper ice-cream parlours arrived at the beginning of the 1800s and Empress Elizabeth was famed for her love of violet-flavoured ice-cream. The tradition continues on and today in Vienna, there are a number of big players on the ice-cream scene, most famous amongst them being Eis-Greißler, Tichy, Zanoni & Zanoni and Eissalon Tuchlauben, as well as numerous smaller though equally delightful premises. In any one of these locations once can find a wide myriad of flavour combinations, from the classic Vanille to the more inventive Kürbiskernöl and Ziegenkäse. The flavour-profile and quality of ingredients are of great importance to the purveyors of these frozen treats and every Eissalon prides itself on using only the best. A few days ago whilst visiting a friend in her home, I was invited to try a Tichy speciality: “Eismarillenknödel”. As the name suggests, this creation fuses the beloved Austrian Knödel tradition with the Italian influence – ice-cream – and is a most delicious way to end a meal. Personally, Marillen is for me the taste of Austria, given that it is to found across the land in every shape and form and so I enjoyed this novel Knödel format (although it may be a tad on the overly-sweet side).
Another common feature of all ice-cream parlours in Wien is their attentiveness to the decoration and presentation of their offerings. Casting a quick glace across the tables of any Eisladen in the city, one sees a wide variety of fruit, chocolate, cream and ice-cream combined together in elegant serveware, displaying creative artistry. Allowing for the fact that ice-cream by its nature is a medium which is less-than-easy to work with (Problem No. 1: propensity to melting!), I find it rather impressive that such lofty creations are conjured up for the various ‘cups’ and hold their shape before being served to the eagerly-waiting customers. A tall-order for the humble Eis on a hot summers day! Tho
ugh summer has drawn to a close and autumn is well underway, to enjoy an ice-cream on a Sunday evening is still a lovely way to end the week. Before the weather turns sharper in the coming weeks, gather your family together and go for it!
Aoífe-Maria Beglin