Watermelon, ice cream, and even cold coffee are not the dish that can be called the best companion for summer adventures, lazy walks, or lunch breaks. This title belongs to ice cream. Their taste is familiar to everyone from childhood, so I want to start this text with the past, which I asked not historians or any experts to remember. "What kind of ice cream or ice cream parlor do you remember from your childhood?" I usually asked acquaintances of all ages.
"Forty years ago, the best ice cream was in a gastronome - there is now a store on Gediminas Avenue. I can't remember anywhere else having an Eskimo on a stick in blue and white paper with penguins and real chocolate and nuts. In those days, they were very expensive - 28 kp, so my parents bought them only when we went for a walk in the city. In Žvėryne, mine and my friends' ice creams were chocolate, costing 15 kp each, and the boys usually had no money, so they bought fruit for 9 kp each. Ice cream after 19 kp - plombyr - looked very greasy and kept dripping, so it was not popular. Ice cream for 13 kp between two wrapped waffles was called "Slivočnoe" - we thought it was with plums. I used to buy and was always disappointed. It used to be an art to eat such ice cream - it would run through all the sides, the paper would get wet, the fingers would stick together, but it was still ice cream..." - remembers Audronė from Vilnius.
There are only a few Vilnius ice cream parlors in the memories of the people I interviewed. Some remember the "Ledainė" that operated in front of the cult cafe "Vaiva" on Pilies street (now Pilies bakery, Pilies st. 19): "I remember the silver coasters on the leg and the grated chocolate." The same was served in 1957. opened in "Rotonda", an ice cream parlor at the foot of Mount Gediminas, where the chocolate-covered treat arrived in a metal container on a pink or yellow plastic leg.
They were also sold on the streets: "There were ice cream carts and fat ladies in white robes selling ice cream in the city. When the lid was opened, steam came out of it. We used to say it was dry ice. And it was very interesting."
"The tastiest was a truncated cone-shaped plum on a stick covered in chocolate glaze with nuts. These cost as much as 28 kp. Less luxurious ice cream options - between two waffles (13 kp), in a waffle glass. The prices of the latter were different, depending on the ice cream, from 9 to 19 kp. Most often it was dairy, cream, chocolate or plum. Sometimes with raisins. There was either no fruiting as such, or it was so rare that I don't remember. One of the most surprising is ice cream on a stick. Unglazed and cut in half vertically. One side was white, the other was cocoa. It cost 12 kp. And after that, fruit ice cream appeared - first in a waffle glass", - around 1970-1980. period tells
CEO of the culinary magazine "Verdu ir Kepu" editor Elžbieta Monkevič.
The cook adds that around 1980-1986 cafe "Gabija" (now Gallery "Kunstkamera", Ligoninė st. 4), which attracted visitors with special coffee brewed on hot sand, also had ice cream. You could eat them with chocolate, syrup or without anything right there, on the spot. However, it was possible to buy it in its own container - a jar. The next point is Vokiečių st. vegetable shop.
In one of its compartments stood two three-body devices, from which various juices were poured, and ice cream cocktails were whipped from the flavor of grapes or apples. It was also possible to order just ice cream, it was served in a metal container without any additional additives. Folding was possible by sitting at a high table.
"If I remember correctly, around 2000, the ice cream parlor was near the Seimas. There were different flavors in scoops, and they were terribly unreal colors. Blue ones - I don't even remember the taste, probably some kind of "Blue curaçao", but it left an impression on the five-year-old kindergartener. Dar Goštauto str. maybe 20 years ago there was a very fashionable place "Rita's hideout" (Goštauto str. 8) where they used to make ice cream with "Sprite", Paulė, who grew up in Vilnius, remembers the period closer to today.
pets, kraft paper or handmade?
When I started wondering where in Vilnius nowadays you can taste high-quality ice cream with more interesting flavors and shapes, I realized that there are more people who make it than fingers on both hands. I will try to present some of the producers and the fruits of their creativity.
The first question I faced was: How exactly do you describe this kind of ice cream? Call it home? Kraft? Artisanal? Or maybe handmade? Klaipėda Ice cream makers "Ledų architektai" do not want to call the production of small producers homemade, because such ice cream is not necessarily of better quality, moreover, the description is misleading - after all, in any case, the ice cream is not made at home.
"We look at the production of ice cream professionally, we analyze what chemical processes are taking place, what reacts, what doesn't, what is produced by cold and what by heat." Therefore, we do not call them either homemade or craft, although this term is closer. We produce small quantities, the flavors are refined, a lot of handwork is put in - a person physically controls the entire process. We call our creative ice cream original", explains one of the "architects", Vytautas Alšauskas.
Together with his friend Lina Jaruševičiūta, Vytautas became interested in ice cream about 14 years ago, when he was still studying architecture. Both taught themselves how to make ice cream, and later this hobby grew to another level.
The duo accepts the production of ice cream as a complete creation: "We purposefully do not represent any type. Gelato, soft ice cream, hard ice cream, berries, fruit, in addition to dairy products, there are a few more - these are like interior styles with certain rules. Let's say gelato production is regulated in Italy. When I got there with my ice cream, some of which I might not even call gelato because it would be outside the legal framework. In each flavor, we look for what we think is the most interesting: higher resolution, interesting color, or other uniqueness."
There are 38 types or flavors in the "Ice Cream Architects" collection. In Vilnius, their palette is a bit narrower, so those who want to taste the entire assortment will probably have to go to Klaipėda, the Kavos architektų cafe (coffee is the couple's second passion). When asked if he sees differences between Lithuanian cities in terms of the types of ice cream sold, he replied that the people of Vilnius prefer berries and fruits: "They really like the ones without milk. These are various berries (blueberries, strawberries) and fruits (mangoes, bananas). All of these have a fairly distinct flavor. Maybe it's a fashion thing. I don't know what it's about. From dairy, pistachio ice cream is a classic. Everything else is as usual. in Klaipėda, Beautiful, I would say, a little differently," he shares his insights.
Where? In "Taste Map" cafes (M. K. Čiurlionio st. 8, Gynėjų st. 14, Antakalnio st. 17)
Orange on the throne
Sue's Indian Raja next to the Cathedral restaurant in this place for 13 years. Indian dishes are made here for no reason kulfi ice cream, for which some people come specially to the restaurant of the Honorary Consul of India in Lithuania.
One of the two new restaurant chefs who came to Lithuania from North India, Delhi, agreed to tell me about the recipe for making kulfi. After inviting him to the kitchen, he explained in detail how he prepares this ice cream in a restaurant and how their production can be accelerated, for example by cooking at home. His family also made ice cream in a less time-consuming way. The essential difference from
Western – Indian ice creams will never contain eggs, and they are not mixed: “Indian and Western ice creams are made completely differently. We make ice cream with milk, and in the West, the ice cream mass is spun, so it is creamier. Indian ones are a little tougher."
Kulfi usually prepared with fruits such as mangoes, kiwis, pineapples, bananas, oranges and others, milk is boiled with sugar until the liquid thickens, then chopped fruits are added and the whole thing is put in the freezer. After 2-4 hours it can be taken out. The shape of ice cream can be varied, it can be obtained using various molds or cut into pieces and, for example, served with dried fruits and nuts.
The restaurant offers two flavors of ice cream - orange and mango. The first to be placed in the shell of the orange peel, the ice cream mass is bright, like the orange itself. Top with some cashews.
Recently, another flavor has appeared - mango, which is spiced up with ground green cardamom. These are served in a different way, in a glass ice cream cone. "Mango kulfi we added ice cream to the menu about six months ago, because guests often asked for it. They soon became very popular," he says restaurant administrator Jūratė Sindaravičienė.
Where? Odminių str. 3
With less sugar
Cafe "Fiona", which has nothing to do with Shrek, was opened seven years ago as a candy store on Pilies Street. Over time, chocolates, various desserts and ice creams, based on gelato, appeared next to cakes. Nearby places also sell ice cream, making this stretch of the tourist-popular street extremely competitive. A notice at the entrance informs about "Natural Ice Cream".
"Our version is gelato minus the sugar, ie. i.e. less of it. We constantly test the quality of ice cream by reducing its quantity. In real Italian gelato - 25 percent. sugar, our products contain about 15%," says chef and founder Romanas Ivaško.
The most popular in "Fiona" is pistachio-flavored ice cream, children like strawberry the most. Mangoes are also popular, for which French frozen fruit puree is used.
Roman presents dark chocolate flavored ice cream as exceptional, which is why, like pistachio, he prepares it three times more than the other types: "There were many cases when technologists in Spain and Italy asked me how I make this ice cream. Italians usually make their dark chocolate flavor water-based. We replaced the water with milk. We also use high quality
Belgian producer cocoa. More expensive, not for mass use. Dark, rich and dry, brut of the species."
Last year, Fiona's ice cream assortment became more dynamic, new flavors keep appearing. The chef usually experiments with fresh ice cream flavors. Last year's discovery, Roman shares, was a light non-alcoholic beer flavored with lemons, as well as jam made from pears and celery. This May's highlight is ice cream with prosecco and red Sicilian oranges. All ideas come from tasting. It doesn't have to be ice cream, for example, the taste of basil and mandarin ice cream was created by tasting a cocktail of these ingredients.
Tip: Pilies st. the selection of ice cream in the dessert shop is wider (up to 14 types) than in other points.
Where? Pilies st. 7, A. Smetona st. 5 (Downtown Food Hall), trolley at the main entrance to Bernardine Park (summer only).
Ice cream in a bun
Yes, you read that right. This southern Italian delicacy is offered by the only place in Vilnius for the second season - the restaurant "Bonocosì" (pronounced "bonokozi", accent on the "i" - aut. past.), which is probably best known for its long pizzas measured in meters (it. pizza by the meter). Make no mistake, these pizzas differ from circular ones not only in shape, but also in production technology. But back to the ice cream. When I contacted the restaurant about the special sandwich, I learned that the ice cream was not available yet because the muffins were still on the way. They are specially brought from Italy. Another ingredient, the ice cream, also comes from owner Gianluca Armone's homeland.
However, the story should not be started from the ice cream, but from the brioche. Not just any, oh brioche col tuppo. The name, says Gianluca, comes from the traditional hairstyle of Sicilian women, the ponytail (it. tupp). And although there is no dispute about this fact, Sicilians disagree about the place of origin. Residents of Catania claim that the unusual shaped bun was created near the town of Taormina. However, the majority disagree with this and say that it happened in Palermo. Whatever the case, the puffy-top bun is definitely Sicilian. There, it is traditionally combined with granita. in Calabria, the region where the restaurant owner comes from, brioche col tuppo served with ice cream or dipped in a latte.
"In Catania, unlike the areas around Palermo, the brioche will be yellowish. This shade is given by saffron. The recipe itself is quite simple - in southern Italy it is said that the real secret lies in the form and the baking. It can either be revealed by a Sicilian grandmother, or you have to prepare to burn at least 1 pieces before you can cook it properly," jokes the chef.
How to taste such a dessert? Gianluca suggests starting with a spoon - first eat the ice cream around, then, after squeezing it a bit, eat the brioche as a sandwich. At the end, tear off the tuppo and spread the rest of the ice cream with it.
Where? Gedimina Ave. 31, Ozo str. 18 (Shopping and entertainment center "Oz")
Yes, like at home
"We tasted it and screamed," says Ramunė about the ice cream made at Julia's house. This female tandem opened Italian coffee house "Italala Caffè" on Vokiečiai Street last January. Although the launch took place in the winter, the ice cream made by Julia was available in the cafe from the first day of work. The flavor palette includes vanilla, pistachio, strawberry, mango and children's favorite Oreo cookies. Milk-based ice cream also makes its way into cocktails and coffee. This combination is a classic. Ice cream drowning in coffee is called Italian drown.
"I like to experiment in the kitchen, and once before working in a cafe, I had the idea to try making ice cream. At first, there were tests without ice cream machines, which were not very successful - the process was too complicated, and the result was often disappointing. For one birthday, I got an ice cream machine, a smaller one than the one we have here now, a small one. I started my tests from her.
I first tried the recipes offered by the ice cream machine manufacturers, then I discovered the recipes on blogs. I also took inspiration from David Lebovitz's excellent ice cream recipe book. Everyone drank the ice cream I made - it tastes like nowhere else. That's why we decided to prepare according to the same recipes here, in the cafe," he said about ice cream production
Julia.
In winter, ice cream is not in great demand, but in summer, it is made frequently in the cafe, probably every other day. Right here, women bake croissants and prepare many Italian delicacies - tiramisu, panna cotta, panini, cannoli with sheep's milk ricotta brought from Sicily. However, these are only accessories for coffee, it is the most important thing here.
"We chose a small ice cream machine at the exhibition in Italy. Its capacity is small, as a result of which the types are very limited, and their shelf life is short. We make everything from fresh products: cream, milk, egg yolks, natural vanilla, sugar, etc. i.e. from what everyone would find in their kitchen cupboard or fridge," she added.
Where? Vokiečių st. 1
Treating a cough?
"Kartalli Baklava" is a unique bakery where you can find not only real handmade Turkish baklava or lukum, but also traditional ice cream Maraş dondurma. They are produced in Vilnius by Seydi Vakkas Kartalli. Maras is the abbreviated name of the city Kachramanmarãš. Seydi's father is descended from him. "The winters are quite cold there, so since ancient times it has been popular to drink hot salep in winter to help with colds, coughs and bronchitis. It is said that Maras ice cream was created by accident when someone left a drink outside and it froze. It's hard to say whether ice cream also treats colds and coughs like a traditional drink," jokes Seydi.
A man who missed such ice cream in Vilnius learned how to make it with his own hands. In the bakery, you will find them in four flavors - milky, pistachio, chocolate and Turkish coffee.
"We make ice cream from cow's and goat's milk, of course we use mastic and salep, because it is they that give the ice cream its unique taste, freshness and texture. Traditionally, Turkish ice cream is made from goat's milk with pure salep, ie. i.e. wild orchid root powder, and mastic. Most ice cream manufacturers in Turkey have long since replaced salep with a mixture of starch and flavorings, in which
there is no real salep at all, and goat's milk is cow's milk. However, we try to keep the recipe as authentic as possible and use only natural ingredients. The only thing that makes ours different Maraş dondurma from the traditional ones, - that due to lack of space, we do not have a device where ice cream is stretched and turned into extremely continuous, rubber-like shapes during mixing and beating."
Where? Kalvariju st. 88/23, at the Open Kitchen street food market (summer only).
The author of the text - Aksė Podolskytė
This text can also be found Part-time Vilnius magazine in the summer issue.
