You know how it goes, I scream, you scream, we all scream, and a reason presents itself now to revive our occasional series. Hungry and Thursday… National Ice Cream Month.
There are few foods which conjure up summer and holidays more than the frozen milk or cream dessert which crosses the social divide.
With King Charles (the first one who lost his head) gorging in ice cream which Marco Polo had brought from China, and was scooped up by European courts.
While the First Fathers were known to dig in with George Washington recorded as spending $200 on ice cream in the summer of 1790.
While Thomas Jefferson brought vanilla into the country and had an 18-step recipe for ice cream.
That ice cream kick
Of course one of the secret joys of ice cream has always been that it can carry an alcohol kick for curious kiddies.
And so it is with rum and raisin though we’re not always sure how much distilled molasses goes into your local scoop.
Unless that is you live in the Caribbean.
Where rum is laced through every breakfast, lunch or dinner, particularly over carnival.
And while we lap up every morsel of Bajan culture our favourite rum and raisin ice cream is in Tobago.
Sitting in the treetops bar at Castara Retreats with Porridge and Jeanelle.
Perhaps because we weren’t nursing a monster hangover from Bajan Foreday Morning, although the hair of the dog is always the best way to cure a sore head.
Il gelato
For many of us, of course, Italia, Il Bel Paese, is the home of the ice cream.
Il gelato conjures up the freshest fruits which brings all our senses alive.
Limone, frutti di bosco or even mandarino all have their takers but for us it has to be La Fragola.
After a day jostling through the alleyways of Venice, in the beating heat of the Roman Forum.
At the end of your Via Francigena into the Eternal City or at the foot of the funiculare in Bergamo.
Where for those who like their gelati extra milky.
Then La Marianna specialises in its signature milky scoop of ice cream heaven, stracciatella.
Our Scottish take with a little Italian
Now we all have our own variation to others’ ice cream.
In our own wee bit of Northern Europe, Italian influences are to the fore.
Because the story goes that when Italians were emigrating to America the ships would stop off in Glasgow for refuelling.
And the passengers who pre-Internet didn’t know what New York looked like got off thinking this was The Big Apple, and never got back on.
And so grew Scottish and Italian fusion with a particular favourite Irn-Bru, our vivid orange soft drink, ice cream a unique experience.
Now whatever, or wherever, you most like to be with your bowl, cone or wafer.
You’ll not be alone because somewhere in the world it’s Ice Cream O’Clock.
So just enjoy it, it’s Hungry and Thursday… National Ice Cream Month.
