Rum raisin (alternatively rum and raisin) is an

ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...

flavor prepared with a combination of

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...

raisin A raisin is a Dried fruit, dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Afri ...

s and

vanilla ice cream Vanilla is frequently used to flavor ice cream, especially in North America, Asia, and Europe. Vanilla ice cream, like other flavors of ice cream, was originally created by cooling a mixture made of cream, sugar, and vanilla above a container ...

History

The idea of rum raisin ice cream dates back to the 1930s and originated in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, Italy, where it was made by soaking raisins in rum and combining them with vanilla

gelato Gelato (; ; ) refers to a specific type of ice cream of Italian origin. In Italian, ''Gelato'' is the common word for all types of ice cream. Artisanal gelato in Italy generally contains 6–9% butterfat, which is lower than other styles of ...

. It was initially known as "Málaga gelato", referring to the use of raisins in producing Malaga wine. It is unclear when the flavor was introduced to the United States, but a 1932 advertisement in the Oklahoma newspaper ''

The Ardmoreite ''The Ardmoreite'' is an American daily newspaper published Tuesday through Friday and Sunday mornings in Ardmore, Oklahoma. History The paper was owned by Stauffer Communications, which was acquired by Morris Communications in 1994. Morris s ...

'' read, "Extra Special. Rum Raisin Ice Cream. Entirely New." Rum raisin ice cream regained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. In the early 1980s,

Häagen-Dazs Häagen-Dazs ( , ) is an American ice cream brand, established by Reuben and Rose Mattus in the Bronx, New York, in 1960, owned by Froneri, a joint venture between Nestlé and PAI Partners. Starting with only three flavors: vanilla, chocolat ...

launched the flavor to its product line, which is credited for popularizing this ice cream in the United States. Today, rum raisin ice cream is often made with regular dark or golden raisins, but sometimes with Málaga raisins as well. In 2021,

Instacart Maplebear Inc., doing business as Instacart, is an American retail media and delivery company based in San Francisco that operates a grocery delivery and pick-up service in the United States and Canada accessible via a website and mobile app. ...

found rum raisin to be the most popular ice cream flavor in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

References

Flavors of ice cream Cuisine of Sicily Raisin dishes Food and drink introduced in the 1930s Products introduced in the 1930s

Raisin A raisin is a Dried fruit, dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Afri ...

{{Food-stub

History

See also

References