Sundae
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One of the most familiar ice cream desserts in the United States, the sundae typically consists of a scoop of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup (often chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, or strawberry), and in some cases other items such as chopped peanuts, whipped cream, or maraschino cherries. Although earliest documentation points to Ithaca, New York, as the birthplace of the treat, a number of cities lay claim to its paternity.
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[edit] Sundae history and controversy
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origin of the term sundae is obscure. Various American localities claim the invention of ice cream topped with syrup. The newspaperman H. L. Mencken reported that the sundae was invented in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, although some reports say he later said this was a hoax[citation needed]. Other sources state that the sundae originated in Plainfield, Illinois; Evanston, Illinois; New York City; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; or Ithaca, New York.
Of the many stories about the invention of the sundae, one frequent theme is the sinfulness of the Ice cream soda and the need to produce a substitute for the popular treat for consumption on Sunday.
[edit] Ithaca/Two Rivers rivalry
There is currently a heated debate between Ithaca and Two Rivers over which city has the right to claim the title "birthplace of the ice cream sundae." Ithaca mayor Carolyn K. Peterson has received over 30 postcards since June 27, 2006 from Two Rivers residents claiming that their city is the birthplace of the sundae. The postcards were in response to Peterson's official proclamation June 26th at Purity Ice Cream that Ithaca had proof to call the sundae its own.[1] Ithaca retaliated with an ad called "Got Proof?" in the Two Rivers newspaper.
Two Rivers' claim is based on the story of George Hallauer asking Edward C. Berner, the owner of Berner's Soda Fountain, to drizzle chocolate syrup over ice cream in 1881[citation needed]. Berner eventually did and wound up selling the treat for a nickel, originally only on Sundays, but later every day. According to this story, the spelling changed when a glass salesman ordered canoe-shaped dishes. When Berner died in 1939, the Chicago Tribune headlined his obituary "Man Who Made First Ice Cream Sundae Is Dead."
Supporting Ithaca's claim, Gretchen Sachse of Tompkins County, New York and the DeWitt Historical Society provides a differing account of how the sundae came to be: One hot Sunday afternoon in 1891 in Ithaca, John M. Scott, a Unitarian Church pastor, and Chester Platt, Platt & Colt Pharmacy partner, created the first known sundae[citation needed]. Mr. Platt covered dishes of ice cream with syrup and candied cherries on a whim. The Platt & Colt soda fountain featured sundaes thereafter. The first documented advertisement for a "Cherry Sunday" was placed in the Ithaca Daily Journal in 1892 by Chester Platt. The spelling "sundae" is believed to have originated in Evanston, Illinois as a less blasphemous name for the ice cream treat some time after the "Sunday" spelling was popularized in Ithaca.
[edit] Types of sundaes
[edit] Hot fudge sundae
The classic hot fudge sundae is often a creation of vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate sauce (hence the "hot fudge"), whipped cream, nuts, and a single bright-red maraschino cherry on top. A hot fudge sundae can be made with any flavor of ice cream; though, as a chocolate sauce is generally favored, non-chocolate ice cream flavors are preferred.
A variation of the hot fudge sundae is the banana split, which generally has two extra scoops of ice creams of different flavors, over a split banana.
[edit] Turtle sundae
The popular combination of vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauces, and toasted pecans is known as a turtle sundae.
[edit] Banana Split
Three sundaes in one, side by side between two halves of a banana, sliced lengthwise. Includes strawberry ice cream topped with strawberry syrup, chocolate ice cream topped with chocolate syrup, and vanilla ice cream topped with crushed pineapple. Each scoop is individually garnished with whipped cream and a cherry.
[edit] Sundae trivia
[edit] The most expensive sundae
For the price of 1000 U.S. dollars, the most expensive ice cream sundae is the Serendipity Golden Opulence Sundae, sold by the famous Serendipity 3 restaurant in New York City[2]. The dessert consists of five scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla, covered in 23-carat edible gold leaf, rare Amedei Porceleana and Chuao chocolate, American Golden caviar, passion fruit, orange, Armagnac, candied fruits from Paris, Marzipan cherries, and decorated with real gold dragets. The sundae is served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18-karat gold spoon.
[edit] Regional variations
In New England, it is not uncommon to see Marshmallow Fluff used in place of whipped cream.
In the St. Louis area, a popular variation produced by local shop Ted Drewes is known as a Concrete. Not unlike a blizzard, Concrete preparation involves mixing or blending additions in, rather than using them as toppings.