 Baked Alaska atDelmonico's in New York City's Lower Manhattan | |
| Alternative names | glace au four,omelette norvégienne (Norwegian omelette),omelette surprise,debil sibérienne (Siberian omelette) |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Main ingredients | strawberry cake,sponge cake orChristmas pudding,ice cream, andmeringue |
| Variations | Bombe Alaska, flame on the iceberg |
Baked Alaska, also known asBombe Alaska,omelette norvégienne, omelette surprise, oromelette sibérienne depending on the country, is adessert consisting ofice cream andcake topped with brownedmeringue. The dish is made of ice cream placed in a pie dish, lined with slices ofsponge cake orChristmas pudding, and topped withmeringue. After having been placed in the freezer, the entire dessert is then placed in an extremely hot oven for a brief time, long enough to firm andcaramelize the meringue but not long enough to begin melting the ice cream.[1] Another common method of browning the meringue is to torch the dessert, sometimes even setting it on fire for presentational purposes.
The name "baked Alaska" was supposedly coined in 1876 atDelmonico's, a restaurant inNew York City, to honor theacquisition by the United States ofAlaska from theRussian Empire in March 1867.[1] However, the restaurant's original recipe was called "Alaska Florida" (suggesting extremes of cold and heat), not "baked Alaska".[2]
The dish is also known as anomelette à la norvégienne, or "Norwegian omelette", which similarly refers to the cold climate ofNorway.[3] During theParis World's Fair in 1867, the chef of theGrand Hôtel decided to create a "scientific dessert" by usingBenjamin Thompson's discovery of the lowthermal conductivity of egg whites. Thompson lived inBavaria at the time of his discovery; as the chef thought Bavaria was in Norway, he decided to name the dish "Norwegian omelette".[4][5]
In 1969, the recently inventedmicrowave oven enabled the HungariangastrophysicistNicholas Kurti to produce a reverse baked Alaska (also called a "Frozen Florida")—a frozen shell of meringue filled with hot liquor.[6]
A variation called Bombe Alaska calls for somedark rum to be splashed over the baked Alaska. The whole dessert isflambéed while being served.[7]
Flame on the iceberg is a popular dessert in Hong Kong that is similar to baked Alaska. The dessert is an ice cream ball in the middle of asponge cake, withcream on the top.Whisky andsyrup are poured over the top and the ball set alight before serving.[8][unreliable source?] Decades ago,[when?] the delicacy was served only in high-end hotels, but today[when?] it is commonly served in many Western restaurants and even in somecha chaan teng.[citation needed]
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The dictionary definition ofbaked alaska at Wiktionary
