ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE CITY
Ice Cream, Ices & the sweetness of the city
Diagna Camilo
Quick & Interesting facts about ice cream:
- a) One ice cream cone can be finished with 50 licks.
- b) United States is largest producer and consumer of ice cream in the world.
- c) 90% of American households eats ice cream.
- d) 12 gallons of milk can produce only 1 gallon of ice cream.
Introduction & History
New York City has a unique culture, history, and flavor. Ice cream and icies are part of what makes New York, New York. Attitudes towards ice cream and ices reflect the different social networks and economic statuses that exist within our city. They also represent ownership, social status, and seasonality of New York City in geographical, historical and ethnographic contexts. Who would think there is history behind a simple cup of ices or cone of ice cream?
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Ice cream is one of the most popular desserts in America. According to Tori Avey, “a staggering 9% of American cow’s milk production is dedicated to ice cream” (Avey 2012).” This dessert is the most traditional old-fashioned treat. It is known in other countries as gelato (in Italy), kulfi (in India), mochi (in Japan), and helado (in Spanish-speaking countries). The first traces of ice cream go back to the second century B.C. There is no specific date or inventor that recognized its origin. But, it became a very exclusive dessert that only appeared at a superiors’ table.
Why do we call it “Ice cream”? According to Lynne Olver, “Centuries ago people started making refreshing summer-time desserts by taking sweet cream (the richest part of milk) or custard (egg-based puddings) and cooling them down with ice. The chillier the cream, the more solid the product.” In other words, the first "iced creams" were so named because the denomination described the process it was made. Before modern refrigeration only wealthy people had access to ice (and by association, iced cream) in the summer. This is what made ice cream a rare treat. It was not until the late 19th century "ice cream" was consumed by Americans across all socioeconomic levels. |
Based on Lynne Olver’s research, ice cream back then was merely flavored ice. Historical figures such as Alexander the Great, a king of the ancient Greek Kingdom, ate snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar. According to International Dairy Food Association (IDFA), During the Roman Empire, Roman elites frequently sent runners into the mountains for snow, which was then flavored with fruits and juices.Over the time ice cream became more and more recognized. The first official account of ice cream in the New World was written in 1744. Ice cream started being advertised in newspapers by 1777. Until 1800, ice cream remained an exclusive and exotic dessert that only the elite class could enjoy. However, due to technological advancements such as ice cream machines by the mid-1800s, manufacturing ice cream soon became an industry in America. The first ice cream cone was created by Italo Marchiony in 1896.
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This appellation was later changed to what is known today as “Sundae”. Soon after, Ice cream took a shift in its social meaning became an edible morale symbol during World War II. In 1946, America celebrated victory after the end of World War II with ice cream, consuming over 20 quarts per person! In fact, ice cream became such a traditional and important part of the American culture that in 1984 President Ronald Reagan designates July as National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday of that same month as National Ice Cream Day.
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Ice cream became controversial in religions contexts and symbolic in political contexts. The high availability of ice cream in the late 19th century led to new creations. In the 1890s, there was religious criticism for eating “sinfully” rich ice cream on Sundays. In response to such criticisms, “ice cream merchants left out the carbonated water [the carbonated water was used to make ice cream soda] and invented the ice cream ‘Sunday’ in the late 1890’s (International Dairy Food Association).”
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As of today, in the 21st century, ice cream history is still in the making with new flavors and concoctions being made on a continual basis. The creativity of ice cream today is boundless.
Ice Cream became even more popular in the streets of New York City when ice cream trucks such as Mister Softee and ices trucks were introduced. Mister Softee was founded by two brothers, William and James Conway, in 1956. According to the Conway brothers, on St. Patrick’s Day of that year, they took their first truck and gave out green colored ice cream in the neighborhoods of West Philadelphia. By 1958, “the company had outgrown the building in Philadelphia and moved to the current location in Runnemede, NJ. It is at this location that Mister Softee transforms plain trucks into Americas' most recognizable mobile ice cream vendor”(Visionline Media, 2010). Mister Softee has their own website, in which they provide job opportunities, special events requests and more information on who they are and what their company stand for.
An interview entitled “What It Takes To Be Mister Softee” by Forbes, shows a day behind the scenes of an Mister Softee franchisee named Jose Rivera. He locates his truck in The Bronx near 229th Street and Carpenter Avenue. Rivera works ten hours per day, seven days per week. He believes that part of what sets him apart from every other Mister Softee franchisee is the way he treats his customers: “If you treat your customers right, they will come back.” Mister Softee is one of the most prosperous ice cream vendors in NYC.
THE IMPACT OF ICE CREAM IN OUR CITY today
Ice cream reflects the economic conditions of New York City, and how economic contexts change, at individual, family, neighborhood, and city-wide levels. For example, Jose Rivera considers himself an entrepreneur and feels happy about where he stands. He drove his first ice cream truck in the 1960s and was impressed by the amount of money he made at the time. Rivera decided to get his own truck for $12,000 in that same year, which is how he got started. On a good day, he makes $950 per day (25% of the profit goes to the company). He affirms that Mister Softee is a “New York City tradition.” Although not all Mister Softee franchisees have the same earning power, operating a Mister Softee truck has provided a flexible income to middle-class and lower-class New Yorkers.
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On the other hand, Bronx icie vendors struggle more than Mister Softee vendors. Icies are “the frozen sorbet-like treat scooped from pushcarts in many of the city’s Latino neighborhoods and sold in Dixie cups for a dollar apiece (Buckley 2009).” In the article written by Cara Buckley entitled “Ice Carts in the Bronx Jostle for Corners”, Ramon Gomez, a 54 year old man from the Dominican Republic, affirms that selling icies is becoming more tough everyday not only because of the weather but also because of increasing competitors in The Bronx. He works near a Bronx River neighborhood seven days a week selling ices for a dollar apiece. Buckley assures that “each summer he makes just enough to pay for a small rented room nearby and a plane ticket home to Santo Domingo, where he works at odd jobs during the winter (2009).” The business becomes tough every year because there are vendors in almost every corner selling the same thing for the same prices. As Gomez puts it, “there’s too much competition.” Therefore, if consumers are not familiar with the vendor, they would just stop at the first cart they see.
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Icie vendors are constantly looking for the best locations to sell their product. Buckley quotes, “When Mr. Gomez started in the business, he rented a cart for $2 a day from Delicioso Coco Helado, a three-decade-old local institution known to some as the Ben & Jerry’s of the South Bronx. Then Mr. Gomez bought a Delicioso cart of his own for $300. At night, he stores it in a rented space that costs $100 a month.” The capital required to start in the icie business is a lot less—in fact, not even half—compared to the cost to franchise a Mister Softee truck. The icie industry has become more competitive in the streets of New York City. However, it has provided a way to build a small business without requiring large capital investment (for vendors), which makes business opportunities open for both women and men.
Although at times it can be a challenging business for most vendors, for consumers ice cream reflects the flow of urban life in New York City. Whenever New Yorkers see an icie cart or an ice cream truck, they know summer time has started; they know it is time to go to parks and spend time with family and friends. On the other hand, when some New Yorkers see an ice cream truck in the middle of fall it may seem odd or uncanny. Or, as Yosmaily Ventura says, seeing the ice cream cart during the traditionally cold months makes her “happy, because I eat ice cream all year long.” However, ice cream vendors seem to be on every street corner, in every park, near every school yard and church of New York City. The vendor himself says that some weekday afternoons he pushes his cart around the corner to catch students getting out of a nearby school (Buckley, 2009). For the vendors, where there are a lot of people who are socializing, the demand for ices tends to be the highest. After interviewing several ice cream lovers, it’s clear that they feel they know when and where to find an ice cream vendor. “If they are not in front of the park near the swings, that means they are in front of the school” or “in Fordham Road, there’s one in every corner,” Ventura stated. Others, indeed, eat different types of ice cream depending on the season. For instance, my friend Yulay Castillo, a 25 year old mother and nurse, states “I love ice cream. Any kind. Italian ices, Mister Softee ice cream. And I especially like ice cream in the winter, and ices in the summer. This summer when I was pregnant I would have an ice almost everyday”. Therefore, for New Yorkers ice cream does not only gets people outdoors to socialize, it is also a sign of the start or end of a season. Eating ice cream seems to indicate that a person’s life is happy and healthy, and in balance living in New York City.
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Icies and Ice cream reflect the social life of a New Yorker. They build social connections and networks. For instance, some ice creams are meant to be shared with others such as banana splits, monsters bowls, or double cones. Banana splits are most likely to be shared with siblings. Deina Camilo, my 20 year old sister, prefers sharing a Banana Boat with her siblings rather than someone she just met, “I would share an ice cream with you or a family member.” Double cones are most likely to be shared with a loved one or perhaps not because just like Yulay Castillo said “I count for two, therefore, I’m not sharing.” Monsters Bowls are more likely to be shared with people you just met because those you can eat with a spoon. For instance, Anna Mendoza said “I don't see anything wrong with it. As long as he/she doesn't touch the side I’m eating from we are good.” Others might be a little more conservative and would not like to share. For instance, Yulay Castillo, a 25 year old mother, expresses “Hell no (I won’t share)! I don't know if that person has herpes and they will be double dipping on my bowl.”
Different Types of Ice cream
In addition, different kinds of ice cream lend themselves to different kinds of social moments. An icie is more of an after school treat because is not too filling; it is more of an appetizer for the food that awaits at home. An ice can also be a guilty treat by yourself; it’s probably not something that you share with someone else – it’s too melty, squishy, and little to share. Also, the method of eating (paper cup) means that it’s really just a single person’s consumable. As opposed to an ice cream cone, is more of a special after school treat, something more rewarding for a child or even for an adult after a long day at work. A cone of ice cream is also less melty and is meant as an actual dessert rather than a snack. A gelato, on the other hand, is for more romantic situations such as a post-dinner time date dessert. Una Radaković claims that her go-to ice cream is gelato, “Amorino is my favorite place for ice cream, it very chilly and actually too sophisticated place for an ice cream shop, but that’s what I love about it. I see myself going there with my girlfriends or even my loved one”. The different concoctions of ice cream that are made in restaurants are perhaps a place for expecting women to enjoy their last week as pregnant.
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The different shapes of ice creams, the way they are made, and how they are sold are a representation of the social status of its consumers and its vendors. Mister Softee is has a more middle-class consumer and vendors. Softee’s ice cream has a richer texture, is served in a sugar cone with a variety of toppings, two different flavors (chocolate and vanilla), and they range anywhere from $2.50 to $7.00 dollars depending on the size. Softee’s vendors are able to gain a flexible income and are sometimes college students looking for a temporary job for the summer.
Icies vendors, on the other hand, represent the lower-class consumers and vendors. Icies are similar to the old school ice creams which were made with ice and fruit flavors. They are served in paper cups, with four to five different flavors (coconut, mango, cherry, and rembo(a mixture of all three) and they are sold for just $1.00 dollar. Its vendors have smaller budgets. For instance, Jose Rivera purchased his Mister Softee truck for $12,000 dollars and that was during mid-1960s. On the other hand, Ramon Gomez purchased his Icies pushcart for $300 dollars. The quality and functions of the cart are different. Mister Softee truck requires driving skills, meanwhile pushcarts only depend on a person’s strength.
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Similarly, frío-frío also known as yun-yun, a refreshing frozen drink made from scratched or crushed ice mixed with natural juices or artificial flavors of various fruits, reflects the lower-class consumers and vendors of New York City. Frío-frío is traditionally from the Dominican Republic. They range from approximately $1.00 to $5.00 depending on the size and they offer over ten different flavors such as strawberry, tamarind, lime, raspberry, mint, and many more. In an article written by Patria Reyes Rodríguez, she affirms Frío-frío vendors nowadays only make enough profit to survive the everyday life.
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Gelatos, on the contrary, represent the higher class consumers and vendors. The location of gelatos are mostly found in Downtown, Manhattan areas. They are usually in local shops which means that they require a certain amount of capital investment. The texture is creamier and the flavors are very diverse from fruit-flavors to nuts, chocolates and candy -flavored gelatos. Gelatos range anywhere from $5.00 to $15.00 dollars.
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Most people might think of ice cream as a treat for children. In fact, ice cream is for people of all ages. A Mister Softee truck driver Harbor Schober affirms that “Mister Softee is definitely loved by all ages. I have little kids and I have grown adults all by themselves coming out to get their ice cream.” Ice cream, in general, makes children happy and makes adults feel like children again. Yulay Castillo, the 25 year old mother, confesses that whenever she eats ice cream “I don't have anyone controlling how much ice cream I can have.” My 10-year old cousin named Layla Camilo said “You know I love ice cream. If I could have ice cream for everyday for the rest of my life, I would. It’s just too delicious.” Asking a kid how they feel about ice cream was like asking a homeless person if they’d like a home. However, the rest of the people whom I interviewed were between the ages of 20-25. All of the answers were similar if not the same as my 10-year old cousin Layla. My mother probably enjoys eating ice cream more than any child does. If she would have to pick between eating a meal and eating a cone of ice cream, she would pick the ice cream. She expresses, “Are you kidding me? Ice cream is my favorite, after chocolate of course. When I eat ice cream I feel like a kid again, it is unexplainable.” This shows that ice cream does not only is enjoyable but also it brings an emotional connection to its lovers – and it allows people to transcend their biological age and just be young, innocent, and carefree for a few moments.
What role does flavor play in the ice cream industry? When conducting my interviews, the most popular choices from Mister Softee was vanilla. Sixty-five percent of them said the would prefer vanilla. It is important to note that Mister Softee only offers to flavors (vanilla and chocolate) and a variety of toppings. According to Mister Softee, their best seller is vanilla. On the other hand, ices pushcarts offers four flavors (mango, coconut, cherry and rainbow) and 40 percent of my respondents said they would choose mango out of the four. Based on ices vendors, their best seller is cherry. When it comes to every other type of ice cream or ice cream brand, it is difficult for people to make a choice since there are so many and most of them are also mixed. Yosmaily Ventura said her favorite flavors are “dulce de leche, toasted coconut caramel, and vanilla”. On the other hand, Yulay Castillo’s favorite flavors are “colombian coffee, rum raisin, dulce de leche, and vanilla.” Una Radaković’s favorite flavors are mango and pistachio. Overall, flavors have become very creative and accessible. My favorite flavors are vanilla, mango, caramel cone, strawberry, southern butter pecan and hazelnut. However, I believe that when you are a true ice cream lover (like myself), any flavor is your favorite.
Conclusion
I’m an ice cream lover, if you can't already tell by the title of this research project. I have to admit that in doing this project I kept craving Mister Softee because they are one of my favorites but I pleased my craving eating caramel cone ice cream from Häagen Dazs while doing this project. Anyhow, I’m very impressed with the information I have come across because I never would have thought that a simple cone of ice cream had such a rich and extensive history. Walking into a gelato shop, buying from a Mister Softee truck or from the ices vendors in the corners of my neighborhood from now on is going to be a richer experience given the knowledge I’ve gained from this research.
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Works Cited
Food Timeline, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodicecream.html, accessed: 20171010
International Dairy Foods Association, http://www.idfa.org/news-views/media-kits/ice-cream/the-history-of-ice-cream, accessed: 20171210
Listin Diario, https://www.listindiario.com/economia/2014/07/31/331764/un-frio-frio-que-dignifica-la-subsistencia, accessed20171210
PBS Food, http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/explore-the-delicious-history-of-ice-cream/, accessed 20171210
The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/nyregion/28ritual.html, accessed 20171210
YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edo4xYUAz-8, accessed 20171210
YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls13gmSv8sI, accessed 20171210
Ethnographic Interview with Yulay Castillo. Bronx, NY. 07 December 2017.
Ethnographic Interview with Yosmaily Ventura. Bronx, NY. 07 December 2017.
Ethnographic Interview with Anna Mendoza. Bronx, NY. 07 December 2017.
Food Timeline, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodicecream.html, accessed: 20171010
International Dairy Foods Association, http://www.idfa.org/news-views/media-kits/ice-cream/the-history-of-ice-cream, accessed: 20171210
Listin Diario, https://www.listindiario.com/economia/2014/07/31/331764/un-frio-frio-que-dignifica-la-subsistencia, accessed20171210
PBS Food, http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/explore-the-delicious-history-of-ice-cream/, accessed 20171210
The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/nyregion/28ritual.html, accessed 20171210
YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edo4xYUAz-8, accessed 20171210
YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls13gmSv8sI, accessed 20171210
Ethnographic Interview with Yulay Castillo. Bronx, NY. 07 December 2017.
Ethnographic Interview with Yosmaily Ventura. Bronx, NY. 07 December 2017.
Ethnographic Interview with Anna Mendoza. Bronx, NY. 07 December 2017.