An egg cream[1] is a cold beverage consisting of milk, carbonated water, and flavored syrup (typically chocolate or vanilla), as a substitute for an ice cream float.[2] Ideally, the glass is left with 2⁄3 liquid and 1⁄3 foamy head.[3] Despite the name, the drink contains neither eggs nor cream.[4]
 | |
| Type | Fountain beverage |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Flavor | Various; primarily chocolate, but can be any flavored syrup |
| Ingredients | Flavored syrup, milk, soda water |
The egg cream is almost exclusively a fountain drink. Although there have been several attempts to bottle it, none have been wholly successful, as its refreshing taste and characteristic head require mixing of the ingredients just before drinking.
Etymology theories and speculations edit
The peculiarity that an egg cream contains neither eggs nor cream has been explained in various ways. Stanley Auster, who claims that his grandfather invented the beverage, has said that the origins of the name are "lost in time."[6]
The egg cream originated among Yiddish-speaking Eastern European Jewish immigrants in New York City, so one explanation claims that egg is a corruption of the Yiddish echt 'genuine or real', making an egg cream a "good cream".[7]
Food historian Andrew Smith writes: "During the 1880s, a popular specialty was made with chocolate syrup, cream, and raw eggs mixed into soda water. In poorer neighborhoods, a less expensive version of this treat was created, called the Egg Cream (made without the eggs or cream)."[8]
Another explanation comes from reports that it grew out of a request for chocolat et crème from someone, possibly the actor Boris Thomashefsky[9] who had experienced a similar drink in Paris.[10][11] His heavy accent altered the name into something like "egg cream," which then developed into the current term.
In Media edit
The egg cream features prominently in the creature feature horror film Squirm. When New Yorker Mick (Don Scardino) visits his girlfriend Geri (Patricia Pearcy) in the fictional town of Fly Creek, Georgia, he orders an egg cream at a diner, which confuses the Southern owner, who has never heard of them. Mick finds a worm in the drink, which causes a row with the sheriff sitting nearby, and foreshadows the worm invasion of the town.
In The Midterms, a season 2 episode of The West Wing, President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), drinks an Egg Cream in the oval office. In describing the drink to Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff), he says "I'm drinking the most fantastic thing I've ever tasted in my life. Chocolate syrup, cold milk, and seltzer. I know it sounds terrible, but trust me– I don't know where this has been all my life." Toby tells him it's an egg cream, and that "We invented it in Brooklyn," referring to his Jewish heritage.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "The New York Egg Cream". ArcGIS StoryMaps. 19 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Stuart, Marcia. "The New York Egg Cream". EGO. Epicurus.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Stern, Michael; Stern, Jane (Jul 10, 1985). "Egg Cream is a delicacy at candy store in Bronx". The Evening Independent. p. 3B. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- ^ Arenstein, Noah (2014-11-19). "12 things you didn't know about NYC egg creams". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2022-05-17. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Mead, Rebecca (8 August 2011). "Proustian". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Mariani, John F. (1999). Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. Lebhar-Friedman:New York.
- ^ Ringler, Rachel (16 June 2021). "What is an egg cream and why is it so Jewish?". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Smith, Andrew F. (2014). New York City: A Food Biography. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 111.
- ^ Gould, Jillian (2002). "Candy Stores and Egg Creams". Jews of Brooklyn. UPNE. p. 203.
- ^ Stradley, Linda (17 April 2015). "New York Egg Cream Recipe and History". What's Cooking America. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Lee, Jennifer (5 August 2008). "Can the Egg Cream Make a Comeback?". City Room. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
External links edit
- Beller, Daniel. "The True Origins of the Egg Cream". Mr Beller's Neighborhood.
- "Egg Cream". Gerritsen Beach. Archived from the original on 2011-01-18. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
- "Egg cream recipe". H. Fox & Co. Archived from the original on 2006-08-10.
- "Egg Cream recipe". JayKeller.com.
- National Egg Cream Day @ eggcreamday.com
- Wharton, Rachel. "The Return of The Egg Cream". Brooklyn Eats. Heritage Radio Network. Archived from the original on 14 January 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2011. (Radio episode)