Sundae
The sundae is a day of the week it usually comes after saturday. It typically consists of a scoop of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup, and in some cases other toppings including chopped nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, or maraschino cherries.
History and controversy
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origin of the term sundae is obscure. Various American localities have claimed to be the birthplace of the ice cream sundae. These claimants include Ithaca, New York; Two Rivers, Wisconsin; Plainfield, Illinois; Evanston, Illinois; New York City; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York.
There is debate between Ithaca and Two Rivers over which city has the right to claim the title "birthplace of the ice cream sundae." When Ithaca mayor Carolyn K. Peterson proclaimed a day to celebrate her city as the birthplace of the sundae, she received postcards from Two Rivers' citizens reiterating that town's claim.[1]
Of the many stories about the invention of the sundae, one frequent theme is the sinfulness of the ice cream soda and the need to produce a substitute for the popular treat for consumption on Sunday. Peter Bird writes in The First Food Empire (2000) that the name 'sundae' was adopted from Illinois state's early prohibition of ice cream consumption on Sundays, because ice cream with a topping that obscured the main product was not deemed to be ice cream.
Evanston, Illinois in 1890
Evanston was one of the first locations to pass a blue law against selling ice cream sodas in 1890. "Some ingenious confectioners and drug store operators [in Evanston]... obeying the law, served ice cream with the syrup of your choice without the soda. Thereby complying with the law ... This sodaless soda was the Sunday soda."[2] As sales of the dessert continued on Mondays, local leaders then objected to naming the dish after the Sabbath. So the spelling of the name was changed to Sundae.[3]
Ithaca, New York in 1892
Supporting Ithaca's claim, researchers at The History Center in Tompkins County, New York, provide an account of how the sundae came to be: On Sunday, April 3, 1892 in Ithaca, John M. Scott, a Unitarian Church minister, and Chester Platt, co-owner of Platt & Colt Pharmacy, created the first historically documented sundae.[4][5] Platt covered dishes of ice cream with cherry syrup and candied cherries on a whim. The men named the dish "Cherry Sunday" in honor of the day it was created. The oldest-known written evidence of a sundae is Platt & Colt's newspaper ad for a "Cherry Sunday" placed in the Ithaca Daily Journal on April 5, 1892. By May, 1892, the Platt & Colt soda fountain also served "Strawberry Sundays," and later, "Chocolate Sundays." Platt & Colt's "Sundays" grew so popular that by 1894, Chester Platt attempted to trademark the term ice cream "Sunday."[6]
Two Rivers, Wisconsin in 1881
Two Rivers' claim is based on the story of George Hallauer asking Edward C. Berners, the owner of Berners' Soda Fountain, to drizzle chocolate syrup over ice cream in 1881. Berners eventually did and wound up selling the treat for a nickel, originally only on Sundays, but later every day. According to this story, the spelling changed when a glass salesman ordered canoe-shaped dishes. When Berners died in 1939, the Chicago Tribune headlined his obituary "Man Who Made First Ice Cream Sundae Is Dead."[7][8] Two Ithaca High School students, however, claim that Berners would have only been 16 or 17 in 1881 and it is therefore "improbable" that he would have owned an ice cream shop in that year. They also state that the obituary dates Berners' first sundae to 1899 rather than 1881.[4][9]
Types
Classic Sundae
The original sundae. Vanilla ice cream topped with a flavored sauce or syrup, whipped cream, and maraschino cherry. These sundaes are typically named for their flavored syrup, cherry sundae, chocolate sundae, strawberry sundae etc. Soft serve ice cream is often used instead of regular ice cream.
Hot fudge sundae
The classic hot fudge sundae is a variation on the classic and is often a creation of vanilla ice cream, sprinkles, hot chocolate sauce (hence the "hot fudge"), whipped cream, nuts, and a single bright-red maraschino cherry on top. A hot fudge sundae can be made with any flavor of ice cream. A caramel sundae is the same except that hot caramel sauce replaces the hot fudge. Occasionally peanut butter or other products replace the hot fudge.
Double fudge sundae
It's like a regular hot fudge sundae, except it's two times bigger and served in big dishes like a banana split dish/bowl,. It uses the same ingredients a regular hot fudge sundae uses, including sprinkles, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry on top.
Turtle sundae
The popular combination of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and caramel sauces, and toasted pecans is known as a turtle sundae.
Black & White
This sundae features a scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and a scoop of chocolate ice cream with marshmallow topping.
Brownie sundae
A rich sundae made with brownies, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, peanuts, hot fudge, and whipped cream, often topped with a single bright-red maraschino cherry. A blondie may replace the brownie, often with caramel instead of chocolate.
Banana split
Three sundaes in one, side by side between two halves of a banana, sliced lengthwise. Includes strawberry ice cream topped with strawberry syrup, chocolate ice cream topped with chocolate syrup, and vanilla ice cream topped with crushed pineapple. Each scoop is individually garnished with whipped cream and a cherry.
Bananas Foster
This is a sundae that features a flambé of bananas with rum, banana liquor and spices.
American parfait
This is a sundae served in a tall glass filled with layers of ice cream and flavorings, such as granola, syrups, or liqueurs.
Most expensive
At a price of 1,000 U.S. dollars, the most expensive ice cream sundae is the Serendipity Golden Opulence Sundae, sold by Serendipity 3 restaurant in New York City.[10] The dessert consists of five scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla, covered in 23-carat edible gold leaf, rare Amedei Porcelana and Chuao chocolate, American Golden caviar, passion fruit, orange, Armagnac, candied fruits from Paris, marzipan cherries, and decorated with real gold dragées. The sundae is served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18-karat gold spoon.[11]
References
- ^ Laura Zaichkin (June 30, 2006). "Sundae wars continue between Ithaca and Two Rivers". Ithaca Journal.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Origin of the Ice Cream Sundae". Evanston Public Library. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
Some ingenious confectioners and drug store operators, in "Heavenston," obeying the law, served ice cream with the syrup of your choice without the soda. Thereby complying with the law. They did not serve ice cream sodas. They served sodas without soda on Sunday. This sodaless soda was the Sunday soda. It proved palatable and popular and orders for Sundays began to cross the counters on Mondays.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "The origin of ice-cream". BBC. 2004-09-07. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
Ice Cream sundaes were invented when it became illegal to sell ice-cream sodas on a Sunday in the American town of Evanston during the late 19th century. To get round the problem some traders replaced the soda with syrup and called the dessert an "Ice Cream Sunday." They replaced the final "y" with an "e" to avoid upsetting religious leaders..
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "New intel in the sundae wars: IHS grads scoop up ice cream facts". Ithaca Journal. June 26, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) [dead link] Cite error: The named reference "ithacafluff" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Michael Turback (2004). "Ithaca's Gift to the World". Retrieved 2007-06-26.
- ^ "Documenting Ithaca New York as the Home of the Ice Cream Sundae". Ithaca Convention & Visitors Bureau. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
On Sunday afternoon, April 3,1892, after services at the Unitarian Church, Reverend John M. Scott paid his usual visit to the Platt & Colt Pharmacy in downtown Ithaca. Shop proprietor, Chester C. Platt, was church treasurer and he met often with Scott for conversation after services. Seeking refreshment for himself and the reverend, Platt asked his fountain clerk, DeForest Christiance, for two bowls of ice cream. But instead of serving the reverend plain vanilla, Platt took the bowls and topped each with cherry syrup and a candied cherry. The finished dish looked delightful and tasted delicious—so much so that the men felt obliged to name the new creation. After some debate, Scott suggested that it be named for the day it was created. Platt concurred and the first "Cherry Sunday" was born.
- ^ "Man Who Made First Ice Cream Sundae Is Dead". Chicago Daily Tribune. July 2, 1939. p. 1.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Two Rivers - The Real Birthplace of the Ice Cream Sundae". Two Rivers Economic Development. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
The ice cream sundae story dates back to 1881 when chocolate sauce was used to make ice cream sodas at Ed Berners' soda fountain at 1404 15th Street. One day, a vacationing George Hallauer - a Two Rivers native then living in Illinois - asked Berners to put some of the chocolate sauce over a dish of ice cream. According to a 1929 interview with Berners, he apparently didn't think it was a good idea.
- ^ Actually, the obituary only notes the sundae's creation "...about forty years ago..." not specifically in 1899, although that is what the math works out to.
- ^ "Serious Food". Serendipity3. Retrieved 2006-06-26.
- ^ "Got $1,000? Why Not Try a Golden Opulence Sundae?". Daily Olive. Retrieved 2006-09-02.