 A block of Neapolitan ice cream | |
| Place of origin | Prussia |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Vanilla,chocolate,strawberry ice cream |
| Variations | Historically, colours were of the Italian flag: green (pistachio or almond), white (vanilla), and red (cherry, actually pink).[1] |
Neapolitan ice cream, also sometimes referred to asHarlequin ice cream,[2] is anice cream composed of three separate flavors (typicallyvanilla,chocolate, andstrawberry) arranged side by side in the same container, usually without any barrier between them.
Neapolitan ice cream was the first ice cream recipe to combine three flavors.[3] The first recorded recipe was created by head chef of the royal Prussian household Louis Ferdinand Jungius in 1839, who dedicated the recipe to the nobleman,Fürst Pückler.[4] The German name for Neapolitan ice cream isFürst-Pückler-Eis.
Its English-language name of Neapolitan arose in the late 19th century due to confusion about its origin given Italy's reputation for ice cream[5] or because its colors—originally green (pistachio), white (vanilla) and red (cherry)—matched those of the Italian flag.[6] Early recipes featured a variety of flavors, but the combination of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry became the standard, likely because these were the most popular flavors in the United States at the time of its introduction.[7]
Cosmopolitan slice. A slice ofice-cream cake made withmousse mixture and ordinary ice cream, presented in a smallpleated paper case. Neapolitan ice cream consists of three layers, each of a different colour and flavour (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla), moulded into a block and cut into slices.Neapolitan ice-cream makers were famous inParis at the beginning of the 19th century, especiallyTortoni, creator of numerous ice-cream cakes.
— Jenifer Harvey Lang,Larousse Gastronomique[8]
Eighteenth century [...]confectioners' shops [were] very often run byItalians. Consequently ice creams were often called 'Italian ice creams' or 'Neapolitan ice creams' throughout the nineteenth century, and the purveying of such confections became associated with Italian immigrants.
— John F. Mariani,The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink[9]
Neapolitan ice cream, different flavoured layersfrozen together [...] [was] first being talked about in the 1870s.
— Stuart Berg Flexner,I Hear America Talking[10]
...in a dress of pink and whitestripes, strongly resembling Neapolitan ice cream.
— A cultural reference fromThe New York Times, 1887[11]
You must have a Neapolitan box for this ice and fill it up in three or four layers with different coloured and flavoured ice creams (a water ice may be used with thecustards); for instance,lemon, vanilla, chocolate andpistachio. Mould in the patent ice cave for about 1½ to 2 hours, turn it out, cut it in slices, and arrange neatly on the dish, on anapkin or dish-paper.
— "Neapolitan box" (A. B. Marshall,The Book of Ices, 1885)[12]
These are prepared by putting ices of various kinds and colors into amold known as a Neapolitan ice box, which, when set and turned out, is cut into slices suitable for serving. However small the pieces, the block should be cut so that each person gets some of each kind. They are generally laid on alace paper on an ice plate. Four or five kinds are usually put in the mold, though three sorts will do. The following will serve as a guide in arranging: First, vanilla cream, thenraspberry orcherry orcurrant water;coffee or chocolate in the middle; the strawberry cream, with lemon ororange orpineapple water to finish. A cream ice flavored with anyliqueur, a brown bread cream flavored withbrandy, with a couple of bright-colored water ices, form another agreeable mixture.Tea cream may be introduced into almost any combination unless coffee were used.Banana cream, pistachio, oralmond cream with cherry water anddamson or strawberry water are other options.The Neapolitan Ice Spoon has a double use; ice bowl is for putting the mixture into the mold, and the handle is for leveling it. The boxes may be made oftin, which is less expensive thanpewter. They are generally sold small enough to make single ices, but these are much more troublesome to prepare. After filling the molds, if there is no cave, 'bed' the ice in the usual way.
— "Neapolitan Icey Cones" (Lizzie Heritage,Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book, 1894)[13]
In Australia, there is a popular cake known as Neapolitan cake ormarble cake, made with the same three colours of Neapolitan ice cream swirled through in a marble pattern, usually topped with pink icing.[14]
Media related toNeapolitan ice cream at Wikimedia Commons
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