Neapolitan Ice Cream’s Rich History

Have you ever had your heart set on ice cream but just can’t decide on a flavor? We’ve all been there. This is certainly a first-world problem but there is still a decision to be made.

This is why Neapolitan ice cream can be such a delicious decision maker. It’s got three of the all-time favorite flavors all living together under one container. You’ve got your vanilla, chocolate and strawberry all right there for the eating.

Some people like one flavor a little more than others. We’ve all opened a carton of this tri-colored treat to find one of the flavors carved out, while the other two flavors remain virtually untouched. Who knows, perhaps we’ve also been guilty of this culinary crime in the past. This does not make us bad people. It just makes quirky ice cream lovers. We are not alone.

We love to explore the history of ice cream, and the Neapolitan chapter is rich and inviting.

History gives Italy credit for this staple of the American ice cream diet. So some ice cream makers in Italy decided to take three of the staple flavors and combine them into one block. The block is then separated by those three flavors. This all dates back to the 1800’s. Recipes for the tri-colored treat began to be more common in the 19th century.

According to the fine folks at the Food Timeline, the name “Neapolitan” traces back to the people of Napoli. The pressed blocks of ice cream were becoming popular in the area. It also appears there was no rule that Neapolitan ice cream’s three flavors could only be chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.

Certainly our American-ized version remains popular today. It’s no wonder. We like variety.

Even if Neapolitan is not your thing, you are never too far away from terrific ice cream made with the finest ingredients. Just head down to Praline’s and concoct your own delicious creation.