Oyster ice cream

Oyster ice cream is a flavor of ice cream. Described as having a savory taste, the ice cream flavor has been offered at a number of oyster festivals.

History

Although it is commonly believed that oyster ice cream was invented in 1842, it was already in existence decades earlier. First Lady Dolley Madison served it in the White House around the 1810s.[1] In 1824, a recipe for it was given in Mary Randolph's cookbook, The Virginia Housewife.[2]

When oyster ice cream was first introduced, it was deemed a luxury food that only the "upper classes" could indulge in, because ice was scarce and difficult to find.[3] It was also thought that eating oysters and ice cream together would be bad for one's health; some investigators in the 1930s claimed that this belief was unfounded.[4]

Preparation and description

According to chef and restaurateur José Andrés, oyster ice cream is made by "gently heating oysters and cream", before freezing the product.[3] Food historian Robert Brantley describes the oyster ice cream of the 1800s as “[e]ssentially...frozen oyster chowder. They served it unsweetened, with the oysters strained out."[2] Oyster ice cream has a savory flavor as opposed to a sweet one.[3]

Reception

Lorraine Eaton of The Virginian-Pilot wrote that one of her colleagues at work "had nearly thrown up" after tasting Eaton's homemade oyster ice cream; others had favorable criticism for the ice cream flavor.[5]

Mention of oyster ice cream is made in Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The ice cream flavor was well-liked by the author.[3] One tale, though deemed a myth, has it that oyster ice cream was "George Washington's favorite."[5] Two varieties of oyster ice cream were featured at the Colchester Oyster Festival in Colchester, Essex, in September 2012.[6] "Oyster-and-ginger" ice cream was served at the 23rd Oyster Festival in Arcata Main Street in June 2013.[7][8]

See also

References
  1. "We All Scream for … Oyster Ice Cream?". North Carolina Coastal Federation. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  2. Miley Theobald, Mary (Winter 2010). "Some Cold, Hard Historical Facts about Good Old Ice Cream". The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
  3. Shute, Nancy (November 23, 2011). "Oyster Ice Cream: A Thanksgiving Tradition Mark Twain Could Get Behind". NPR.
  4. "Oysters, Ice Cream All Right". The Milwaukee Journal. September 21, 1934. pp. 9–.
  5. Eaton, Lorraine (February 12, 2009). "Oyster ice cream: This onetime delicacy divides palates today". The Virginian-Pilot.
  6. "Oyster flavoured ice cream at Colchester festival". Daily Gazette. August 28, 2012.
  7. Poor, Kaci (June 16, 2013). "Humboldt comes out for Oyster Fest despite changes". Times-Standard. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013.
  8. KCRW's Good Food Video Blog features Chef Kyle Schutte making oyster ice cream using liquid nitrogen.
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