A Delicious Taste Of History

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Photo by Flavio Shibata on Unsplash

Nina and Nana discuss a novel and delicious approach to representing historical places people and events.

Nana: Nina, what are you doing?

Nina: Eating ice-cream, of course. Can’t you see, Nana? You should get your eyes checked.

Nana: Stop being a smart mouth. I can see that you’re eating ice-cream. But you just had breakfast an hour ago. You’ll ruin your appetite for lunch. This is ridiculous. You know the rules. No dessert before lunch.

Nina: But Nana, this is not dessert. It’s research.

Nana: You call all your mischief research. I’d love to hear what spin you’re going to put on this pre-lunch dessert.

Nina: I’m studying history.

Nana: Sure. And I am Gandhi.

Nina: No Nana. But this ice cream is Gandhi.

Nana: Did you say the ice cream is Gandhi? So you’ve finally gone round the bend and lost your marbles. You’re cuckoo, a raving loon. Oh let’s just say it. You’re stark staring bonkers.

Nina: Nana, don’t worry. I’m all here with all my marbles intact. I just read an article about a lady who designs ice cream flavors that symbolically represent well known historical personalities, events and places.

Nana: Say what?

Nina: Hannah Spiegelman designs ice cream flavors that represent history as a way to motivate people to study it. For example she created a lemon thyme and vodka ice cream with freeze-dried raspberries and candied lemon peel to introduce the story of Laika, the Russian dog who was the first living creature in space. Laika’s nick name Little Lemon inspired the flavoring.

Nana: I see. So what does the Gandhi ice cream contain?

Nina: It’s a white vanilla ice-cream symbolizing the non-violence and truth, which were the twin ideals, the Satyagraha movement was based on. I have added a sea salt caramel sauce and chocolate chips. The caramel sauce on the white backdrop is a metaphor for the racist oppression he endured in South Africa. The chocolate chips represent the Africans he was initially unsympathetic towards, but eventually changed his views. The sea salt stands for the famous Dandi March.

Nana: Hmm it seems you have actually put some thought into this. Perhaps you have earned this ice cream But tell me, what would you put in an ice cream representing Marie Curie? Marie biscuits and glow in the dark jello? Haha

Nina: That’s the spirit Nana. Let’s make that after dinner. Yumm. And then I’ll start reading her biography written by her daughter Eve before bed.


This post is a part of the #NinaAndNana series I co-host with Lavanya Srinivasan. Her posts can be found here.

Tags: family, learn, humor, recipes, Nina and Nana, history, cuisine