During the listener lyric unit also known as the lyrical essay, we were tasked to create an essay about any topic that we wanted while incorporating a lyrical portion in it. This could include poems and images. For my essay, I wrote about the history of ice cream specifically during the Prohibition.
Process
To began this process we all chose a topic we were interested in. As I researched ice cream I learned about how it boomed during the Prohibition and decided to focus specifically on it. I then wrote a poem on the general history and formatted my Lyric like a research essay.
Listener Lyric
The Replacement
A Poem:
From 2000 years ago, a snowy treat.
Made for the rich kings and queens of the ancient.
Brought down from the mountains, loved by Catherine de Medeci.
The ice cream we know and love was invented by nobility.
The US prohibition banned the sale of alcohol.
Replaced by ice cream their love grew.
Like pigeons to bread the people flew, the cold nostalgic comfort expanded the market.
Why does the taste of ice cream taste so good?
A Brief History:
Created over 2000 years ago, commonly made from snow and fruit juice, Ice cream has been a long beloved treat for the rich and wealthy. Records show that people like Alexander the Great and Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar commonly consumed this sweet treat by having slaves get ice from mountains. Due to the expensive process of creating ice cream, only nobility were able to eat it for thousands of years.
In the 1600s a noble named Catherine de Medici moved to France with a band of her most skilled chefs. The ice cream that she brought with her caught the eye of nobles. Fueled with the power and money of the nobles, ice with fruits evolved into sherbert and cream ice. Her contribution to the evolution of ice cream has been very notable.
During the late 1700s and early 1800s the invention of refrigeration allowed for ice cream to become more commonly enjoyed by the public. With the industrial revolution the volume of ice cream created rose changing its name from cream ice to ice cream. Ice cream soon became a comfort food to many who lived in America.
The Prohibition:
From 1920 to 1933, the U.S. created a national ban of the creation of alcohol in an attempt to reduce crime and corruption. The government thought that getting rid of alcohol would help improve the health and hygiene of America creating the Prohibition. Unlike what many believe, the consumption of alcohol was not illegal, only the production of it. Many crime organizations and speakeasies still served alcohol, but the average citizen did not go to these places. With bars losing their main source of income, many of them had to find a new source of income. Some turned to pottery, others turned to cheese, but most of them turned to ice cream. Just like alcohol, the cold treat created a sense of comfort and elegance for those who ate it, causing a large increase in sales. The popularity of ice cream rose 55% in 9 years causing an ice cream fever. New York was consuming 300 gallons of ice cream alone.
Fueled by the ice cream fever, new ice cream related foods were created such as the Eskimo Pie, a block of vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate similar to a Klondike bar. Popsicles, Dixie ice cream cups, and Drumsticks were also created during this era. Even after the prohibition was lifted, people still consumed an ever rising amount of ice cream.
Conclusion:
Throughout history ice cream has been beloved by many for its cold and refreshing taste. Today, the average person consumes 22 pound of ice cream per year. With the taste of childhood nostalgia ice cream has always helped the masses feel at home.
Why does the taste of ice cream taste so good?
Lyrical Essay Project
This is a recipe page I created based off of my Lyrical Essay.
Reflection
I really valued the experience to get to learn about a topic I had not thought much about. Through my research I was able to learn why ice cream had become as popular as it is now and this project was really fun to write.