¿Qué hace que el helado de vainilla al estilo Filadelfia sea único?
Cuando la gente piensa en Filadelfia y su gastronomía, lo primero que suele venir a la mente es el Philly cheesesteak. Existen variaciones de este plato, como las minihamburguesas al estilo Philly cheesesteak, pero este no es el único que lleva el nombre de Filadelfia.
When people think of Philadelphia and its food, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the Philly cheesesteak. There are variations of this dish, such as mini Philly cheesesteak burgers, but this isn't the only one that bears Philadelphia's name. In fact, the city even has its own alcoholic punch, whose history dates back to the 1790s. Philadelphia also has its own unique way of making ice cream, a tradition that has been part of the city's history for over a century.
Philadelphia-style ice cream includes typical ingredients like milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings; vanilla is a particular favorite. However, in Philadelphia, they omit the custard base when preparing it. This base is traditionally used to give ice cream a rich, thick, and creamy texture, so Philadelphia-style ice cream is noticeably lighter and airier without this thickener. When this method became popular in Philadelphia, vanilla was the most popular flavor. Today, you can find all sorts of flavors of this unique style of ice cream at The Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia.
Omit the egg custard base
The process of making ice cream without a custard base became popular in Philadelphia in the late 19th century. Bassets and Breyers, two well-known ice cream brands in Philadelphia, spearheaded this trend, appealing especially to Philadelphians' fondness for vanilla. In fact, the flavor was so popular that customers often demanded visible pieces of vanilla bean in their ice cream.
This specific method for making ice cream without a custard base is perfect for more subtle flavors, such as vanilla. Without a thick, creamy base, the lighter flavors won't be overpowered. While vanilla remains a popular flavor for Philadelphia-style ice cream, this method is also used for other flavors and works especially well for fruit ice creams.
The name of this type of ice cream might suggest it's only found in Philadelphia, but that's not entirely true. Ice cream shops throughout the northeastern United States have also adopted it. However, to try something as close as possible to the original, The Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia is the best place.