Why Americans are restless in ice -free drinks from Europe

Why Americans are restless in ice -free drinks from Europe

On a hot, sultry day in cities such as Paris, London, Rome or Athens, you are looking for a refreshing cold drink. You sit on your feet in a café after a morning and order a cool drink. But when it matters, it is lukewarm - no ice cubes in sight. You call the waiter and order again, now with ice. But only a lonely, sad -looking ice cube comes that has already melted before the first sip.

cultural differences in the ice love

"I started saying: 'Can I get extra ice?' And then they just bring me two ice cubes ...", recalls the New Yorker Isabel Tan, who has experienced how hesitantly deal with the Europeans. "After all, I thought: 'Okay, let me see what you do when I ask for a bucket of ice?' That was half a joke. But they actually brought a little bucket of ice cream. I was in Italy and it was really, really hot ..."

the American ice sensation

As Tan noticed, the preference for ice is a typical American affair. Historian Jonathan Rees explains that the whole world does not have the same interest in ice as the United States. "We are used to having ice in almost everything. It is very typical for the Americans," says Rees, the author of the book "Refrigeration Nation: A History of Ice, Appliances, and Enterprise in America". The author Amy Brady, whose book "ICE: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks - A Cool History of a Hot Commodity" deals with the environmental impact of ice cream, agrees: "Americans have a unique obsession for ice cream on the world stage."

ice and personal preferences

For Tan, which originally comes from Singapore, the aversion to ice is culturally shaped. "In Asian culture, people believe that warm drinks are better for health," she explains. But after years in New York, she got used to life with ice cream. "Even in my Stanley Cup, ice cubes are currently," she says, pointing to her large water bottle. "I definitely prefer ice drinks, even in winter I enjoy an ice coffee."

The UK-based Claire Dinhut has a different perspective: "I personally don't really like ice cream and the taste of water," she says. Dinhut is half an American, half -French, but even during her childhood in Los Angeles, she couldn't get used to the American ice enthusiasm. Now living in Europe, she estimates that she has no ice cream in her drinks. Your preference? "A good sorbet."

The historical dimension of the ice debate

The discussion about the ice variant is not new. Brady refers to historical examples in which travelers from all over the world came to America and were shocked by the quantities of ice cream in American drinks. "I found essays and letters from Charles Dickens, who criticized ice in American drinks for a long time. Our obsession for ice cream made us a spectacle," recalls Brady.

rees says that the problem of finding ice cream while traveling has been going back over 100 years. "In the late 19th century, people in America asked Europeans around ice and were flabbergasted when they didn't get any."

The origins of American ice cream obsession

How have Americans get so long in love? Rees explains that the love of ice on Frederick Tudor, a Boston businessman, goes back in the 19th century, who became known as an "ice king". "He found a way to cut ice cream of ponds and streams, packed it into ships and sent it worldwide," says Rees. Tudor even started to give American taverns free of charge, which increased the demand for cold drinks and accumulated assets.

ice as a status symbol in the USA

In the course of the 19th century, ice cream in the United States became a status symbol. "Marketing campaigns described ice cream as if it were a car or a television," explains Brady. Eis never found the same popularity in Europe. The fact that Europeans often find ice to be unnecessary and even unpleasant is in contrast to American enthusiasm. "I order ice drinks out of necessity in summer, but to avoid that it is watered down, I drink it quickly," says Dinhut.

The British perspective on ice

When the British Lacey Buffery moved to the USA five years ago, she immediately noticed the large amount of ice cream. First she found the ice -cooled glasses with water in Restaurants "too cold", but over time she got used to it. However, your British partner remains true to his anti-ice course and calls for drinks without ice cream.

Buffery also reports of the great American refrigerators - often twice as large as the typical British. "I have never had a refrigerator in the UK with an ice dispenser," she admits. On social media it becomes clear that free refilling in the United States is widespread, while this is rather rare in Europe. That makes the ice debate even more complex.

How to stay cool despite the shortage of ice

If you as an American travel to Europe this summer and take care of ice cream - and perhaps also about missing air conditioning systems and the drinking water - it is reassured that there are many other ways to cool off: Gelato, Sorbet and Granita are just a few examples. A jug of Tinto de Verdo in Seville will be filled with ice to the edge, while a glass of rosé is served perfectly in Provence.

rees sums up that it is okay not to always have ice cream available when you travel. "I consciously leave the USA to try other people's kitchen, even if their drinks may not contain ice cream," he says.

Brady adds that it is important to consider the waiver of ice cream as a cultural difference and to use as an opportunity to “self -reflection”. "Try to resist, which may be an immediate reaction that the lukewarm water or the lukewarm tea is less good or less clean," she advises.