Sitting on a bench in the local park, I am letting the sun warm my face. Around me are couples enjoying each other’s company, picnicking in the grass (in the area where dogs pee – but they don’t care! They are in love.); other dog owners chatting amongst each other; mothers proudly watching their children play and fathers teaching their daughters to ride a bike. I am happy. A little boy, not much older than four, shuffles past me; one hand clenched into his dad’s, the other holding an icy promise of succulent deliciousness. He is licking his bright yellow popsicle as if it is his most prized possession in the whole entire world. He is not yet aware that ice melts, so he has not been careful about which parts to indulge, resulting in half the ice pop sliding off the stick and landing in the grass. A second of shocked disbelief flashes his face before he looks up at his father and cries. Loudly. I smile; we have all been there.
It is Summer and one of my favourite aspects of this season is having popsicles on a hot day. I really do not care much about which flavour, as long as it is refreshing. Of course I do have my favourites, but seeing as my roots lie in a small European country, I doubt most readers will have heard of brand names such as ‘Split’, ‘Apollo’, or ‘Hero’s Pear Ice Lolly’. From the time we are toddlers, we are treated to the popsicle whenever the weather allows for it, generation after generation. When did this tradition start though? Did Christopher Columbus get cold ice on a stick from his mamma when he was young? Did Socrates?
Before the twentieth century, people did enjoy various ways of indulging in ice already. Snow and ice have been used to their advantage by all animals, including men, since the beginning of time (nsidc.org, 2017) (naturalhistory.si.edu, 2017). In Mesopotamian times however, around 3000 B.C., men created large pits they used as refrigerators (Rossi & Russo, 2009); these were used to cool and preserve food, but also to store ice. The so-called ‘snow houses’ found their way through the antiquities from Egypt to Greece and Rome. The ancient Greek for instance, used a double walled amphora to cool their wine; icy snow water went into the outer layer for the desired result (Forbes, 1993), but most interestingly for ice lolly enthusiasts, it were the Romans who turned ice into a delicacy. Allegedly, it was Nero (37 AD – 68 AD), the fifth emperor of Rome, who added the juice of fruit to crushed ice, inventing the sherbet (Rossi & Russo, 2009)!
It was 1905 however before the first, actual popsicle was created (Fiegl, 2010). As the story goes, an eleven year old Frank Epperson lived in San Francisco and one night he decided to make himself a soda, using water, some powder-mixture and a stirring stick. Distracted as boys that age can get, he forgot about the soda and left the glass on the porch to freeze overnight. When he discovered the frozen drink on a stick the next morning, he had a metaphorical goldmine at his feet (Butler, 2013). Whether this is true or a romantic version of actualities made up by advertising companies remains to be seen; A fact is that Epperson patented the popsicle in Oakland in 1923, where temperatures did drop to freezing in 1905, while this never was the case in San Fran during that entire year (Marks, 2012). When Epperson shared his icy treat with his family and friends, he used to call it an ‘Eppsicle’. His children never asked for the eppsicle though; instead, they asked for pop’s ‘scle, a name which caught on and was used when Epperson went to the patenting office (Butler, 2013). The popsicle was born!
One of the best attributes of the popsicle is that you can enjoy one guilt free. Because of the high quantity of water, they are low in calories! However, like most treats, they do contain rather a lot of sugar, sometimes added, sometimes natural, and they do not contain any nutritional values, so it is wise not to have more than the one when you treat yourself or your kids (Ipatenco, 2017). Of course there are always brands that do not add sugar nor artificial sweeteners; out of all the choices out there, these are the ones to look out for. Not only because they contain actual fruit(juices) and are thus the healthier option, but also because, let’s face it: in the end, real always tastes better!
Instead of store bought ice lollies, you could easily make them yourself as well (the internet is filled with recipes). It is an uncomplicated use of the couple of minutes you might otherwise have spent choosing which popsicle to buy, with the benefit of serving something delicious which contains only ingredients you improve of. Depending on whether you use syrup or real fruit, your homemade ice lollies will contain a higher nutritional value. If you don’t have molds, use paper cups; that way you also get closer to the original version, accidentally created by Frank Epperson.
Whether you choose to make your own popsicles or to buy them ready-made, you are going to have a flavourful Summer, filled with mouth-wateringly delicious ice pops to cheer you up from dusk ‘till dawn; I promise you that.
Sources:
Butler, S. (2013, August 16). Frozen History: The Story of the Popsicle. Opgehaald van History: http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/frozen-history-the-story-of-the-popsicle
Fiegl, A. (2010, July 7). A Brief History of Popsicles – Popsicles originated as a happy accident. Retrieved from Smithsonian: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-brief-history-of-popsicles-92923396/
Forbes, R. J. (1993). Studies in ancient technology, Volume 2. Leiden: E.J. Bril.
Ipatenco, S. (2017, July 17). Facts on Popsicles for Kids. Retrieved from Healthy Eating: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/popsicles-kids-2823.html
Marks, B. (2012, August 15). The Cold, Hard Truth About Popsicles. Retrieved from Collectors Weekly: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-cold-hard-truth-about-popsicles/
naturalhistory.si.edu. (2017, July 17). Resources / Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from Arctic Study Center: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/arctic/html/resources_faq.html
nsidc.org. (2017, July 17). Animals and Frozen Ground. Retrieved from National Snow & Ice Data Center: https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/frozenground/animals.html
Rossi, C., & Russo, F. (2009). Ancient Engineers’ Inventions: Precursors of the Present. Cham: Springer International Publishing Switzerland.
