SCOOPS OF HAPPINESS

Be it sticks, lollies, cups, bars or other delicious bites, ice cream continues to be the world’s most popular treat

Everyone loves ice creams. The history of the world’s most popular treat goes back to 37 AD when the Roman emperor Nero got his courtiers to bring him ice from the mountains, topped with fruits. In the Eastern culture King Tang of Shang, China popularised ice and milk concoctions around 630 AD.

At the mass consumer level, the craze for ice creams started around 150 years ago when ice cream merchants invented the ‘sundae’ in the 1890s. In 1945, the first floating ice cream parlour was built for sailors in the Western Pacific. After World War II ended, popularity of ice creams hit an all-time high.

Ice creams are typically eaten as a snack or dessert. Made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits and other ingredients and flavours, ice creams are sweetened with sucrose, corn syrup, cane sugar and beet sugar. Popular flavours include vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan, strawberry, and Neapolitan but ice creams are available in dozens of variants. Sugar-free ice creams are also available in the market.

Along with ice creams, yoghurt also finds many takers in the UAE. A healthy option, yogurt lovers will get a great dose of proteins apart from several other nutrients found in dairy foods, like calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, potassium, and magnesium. Yogurtland, for instance, offers 38 exciting yougurt flavours. Not surprisingly the UAE has a huge ice cream and yogurt market. Analysts attribute the surge of this sector to the country’s growing population, fuelled mainly by the significant rise in expatriate population and Dubai’s growing stature as a tourist destination.

Brands like London Dairy, Ice Cream Lab and Igloo are fast becoming favourites across all age groups. With the option of tubs, cups, sticks, cones, bars and lite, London Dairy brings a great variety to the palate. Similarly, Ice Cream Lab is popular for its flavourful ice creams, also known as liquid nitrogen ice creams, which make use of fresh and natural ingredients without any preservatives.

Another leading ice cream maker, Igloo is a hot favourite among kids and families, offering ‘ice cream fun for everyone’ since 1970. With a huge variety of tubs, sticks and cones, Igloo has something for everyone.

Life is like an ice cream cone, you have to lick it one day at a time. — Charles M. Schulz