The History of Ice Cream (Roots)
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Can you match these sweet dishes to the countries they come from.
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Comprehension
Read and answer
1. Can you reorder the following sentences about the history of ice cream, such that the earliest fact comes first?
a. Ice cream was made in Baltimore. [5]
b. Milk and sugar were used as primary ingredients. [3]
c. Milk and rice mixture was packed into snow. [2]
d. Ice cream was put in metal cones. [4]
e. The people of the Persian Empire invented an ice cream recipe for the royal family. [1]
2. Read the following sentences. Write if they are Ture (T) or False (F).
a. The first written recipe of ice cream is from 1775. [F]
b. The ice cream cone was first made in 1904. [F]
c. During World War II, US pilots made ice cream by flying planes at 33,000 feet. [T]
d. In Hawaii, there is a fruit called vanilla bean. [F]
e. The United States Navy once made a floating ice cream factory. [T]
Reference to context
3. "They would pour grape juice concentrate over snow and eat it during the hot summers."
a. Who are 'they' in the above reference?
= 'They' are the people of the Persian Empire in the above reference.
b. In what time period did this occur?
= This occurred in the time period of 500-400 BC.
c. What other kind of ice cream was made by them?
= They also invented an ice cream recipe for their royal family. It was made of iced rose water, vermicelli, saffron, fruits and other sweet flavours.
4. "The modern recipe of ice cream, with milk and sugar as its primary ingredients, was developed by the Arabs."
a. When was this recipe invented?
= This recipe was invented in the period of 800-900 AD.
b. What other ingredients were often added to this version of ice cream?
= Other ingredients like cream, flavoured rosewater, dried fruits and nuts were often added to this version of ice cream.
c. Name a few cities where this ice cream was popular.
= This ice cream was popular in the cities like Bagdad, Damascus and Cairo.
5. "It is denser and creamier than ice cream."
a. What is 'it' in the above reference?
= 'It' is Kulfi in the above reference.
b. Why was it named so?
= The word Kulfi means 'a covered cup' in Persia. As this kind of ice cream was packed into metal cones, that is why it was named so.
c. When was it first prepared? How?
= It was first prepared in between 1500-1600 AD in northern India during the Mughal Empire.
The Mughals added pistachio and saffron to the traditional condensed milk desserts, packed it into metal cones and froze it using a mixture of ice and salt. It was then transported to the warmer parts of the empire.
Reflect and answer
6. What is common to all the different kinds of ice cream you read about?
= All the different kinds of ice cream I read about are frozen in the snow. Most of them had milk and sugar in them.
7. Why do you think the same has different versions in different parts of the world?
= I think the same has different versions in different parts of the world due to the availability of the other ingredients. People of different parts of the world added the special ingredients which are part of their life style and culture in that particular place.