In the Midwest, You Eat Custard
In the Midwest, You Eat Custard
And an argument for circus peanuts
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Episode 199: Legacy & Circus Peanuts with Laurie Woolever
Laurie Woolever - author of Bourdain's new biography - on her love of only the most cursed candy. (One of her grandpas was born in the 1800s, so maybe it was foretold that she'd love penny candy.)
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Abundant Ice, Milk, and Breweries Created the Midwest’s Custard Culture
By Sheila Julson
Frozen custard didn't originate in the Midwest, but this cold dessert made with eggs plus cream, sugar, and flavoring (don't call it “ice cream” to any Midwesterner!) is one of the region’s favorite treats during any season.
Frozen custard’s creamier, denser (than ice cream) texture is achieved through a higher percentage of butterfat, along with the Food & Drug Administration requirement that frozen custard contain 1.4% pasteurized egg yolk. It’s also churned at a slower rate than ice cream.
The birth of frozen custard in the United States is often credited to New York ice cream vendors Archie, Clair, and Elton Kohr. In 1919, the brothers realized that adding egg yolks to their ice cream gave the product a smoother texture and helped it stay cold longer under the sun and salty ocean air near Coney Island’s boardwalk.
The popularity of frozen custard exploded throughout the Midwest after the delicacy was featured at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. Prohibition had already forced breweries throughout Wisconsin to pivot operations and make products other than beer, including ice cream. The Dairy State’s abundance of milk and eggs, and its history of ice harvesting innovation, turned it into the unofficial custard leader. Gilles Frozen Custard opened in 1938. Leon’s Frozen Custard followed during the 1940s. Kopp’s opened in 1950. These “big three” frozen custard establishments are still operating and still popular.
Other frozen custard purveyors to know:
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (St. Louis, 1930s)
Jarling’s Custard Cup (Champaign, Ill., 1949)
Original Frozen Custard (Lafayette, Ind., 1932)
Erma’s Original Frozen Custard (Detroit area, 1942)
Sources:
“History in the Eating: Frozen custard didn’t start in Wisconsin—but we’re still the custard capital,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 18, 2016; “Milwaukee’s Frozen Custard,” by Kathleen McCann and Robert Tanzilo.
More Food Reading:
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And sometimes Jon Kung shares his thoughts on culinary gatekeeping while looking fine as hell.
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This newsletter is edited by Katherine Spiers, host of the podcast Smart Mouth.
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