seem to have come into being, in Europe, at about the same time in the second half of the 17th century as ice cream. The same technique is used for both products; see ice.
It has been suggested that ices (whether water ices or ice cream) were made much earlier in China. This seems not impossible, and would be difficult to disprove. However, the further idea that they were introduced to Europe by Marco Polo, returning to Venice from China in the 13th century, is unsupported and is best counted as a piece of culinary mythology.
As for precedence in Europe, if the enquiries recorded by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir (1993) and Elizabeth David (1994) may be assumed to have carried research as far as possible, no one can say whether true water ices were first prepared in Italy or France or Spain. Whatever the point of origin, their use spread quickly between the more sophisticated cities of Europe, although there is no sure evidence of when they first crossed the Channel to London.
A succinct description of water ices, with an important point about making them, was given in Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery (edn of c.1890): ‘Water ices are made of the juices of ripe fruits mixed with syrup and frozen; and it must be remembered that if the juices are sweetened excessively they will not freeze.’ Additional flavourings or a little liqueur may be added.
Water ices may be served as a stand-alone refreshment, as a dessert, or as a means of refreshing the palate about halfway through a meal of many courses. In the last case especially, they are apt to figure on a menu, even if it is in English, as ‘sorbet’, the French name. It and several more names in other languages, e.g. Italian sorbetto, and Spanish sorbete, belong to the sherbet group. Another Italian term, granita, refers to a water ice with a more granular texture than the standard kind.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
David, Elizabeth (1994), Harvest of the Cold Months, London: Michael Joseph.
Liddell, Caroline, and Weir, Robin (1993), Ices, London: Hodder & Stoughton.
