On a hot summer day in New York City, it can be extremely enticing to enjoy a nice refreshing dessert. We’ve listed before some of our favorite ice-creams spots in the city but on a particularly hot & humid day, dairy heavy ice-cream can seem unappetizing. Cue, the Italian Ice. Not to be confused with Snow Cones, or Sorbet, this delicious ice is made with fruit (or concentrates, juices or artificial flavorings if you go to the wrong place!). The fruit is mixed with water continuously as it’s frozen so they freeze mixed together.
There are a few different theories on how Italian Ice came to be, although none are confirmed. Some say that Roman Emperor Nero sent a servant to chill his wine far up in the hills and somehow the snow became mixed with the drink, creating the first Italian (or, ancient Roman) Ice. They say this resulted in the fastest runners being tasked to run up to the mountains to mix honey & seasonal fruit with the fresh snow. Some even credit the Chinese for giving Marco Polo his first taste, who then brought it back to Europe.
There are a few different theories on how Italian Ice came to be, although none are confirmed. Some say that Roman Emperor Nero sent a servant to chill his wine far up in the hills and somehow the snow became mixed with the drink, creating the first Italian (or, ancient Roman) Ice. They say this resulted in the fastest runners being tasked to run up to the mountains to mix honey & seasonal fruit with the fresh snow. Some even credit the Chinese for giving Marco Polo his first taste, who then brought it back to Europe.
Regardless of its origins, Italian Ice has long been a NYC staple, starting with our historic street carts that used to roam the streets of the city’s ethnic neighborhoods. Today, Court Pastry Shop in Brooklyn is known for its incredible ice and enormous portions- a hefty “small”, will run you about $2. All their ices are still served in the classic paper cup. The Lemon Ice King of Corona, made nationally famous from the opening credits of “King of Queens”, is still family run and boasts incredible flavors, including rum raisin, peanut butter & licorice). For the modern New Yorker on the go, there’s Andy’s Italian Ices, a dessert truck that makes its rounds in Manhattan offering flavors such as green sour martini, pink grapefruit and root beer, as well as a variety of creme ice flavors like apple pie, banana creme & cannoli. You can visit the Court St. Pastry Shop and try them for yourself on our Neighborhood Eats Brooklyn Brownstone Tour.