What you need to know:
- Gulf News is going on an ice cream trail this Ramadan.
- Our eleventh pick of the month is the gold ice cream.
- Be prepared for our list of 29 ice creams for 29 days.
- Break your fast and enjoy the Summer months with these sweet and cold treats.
Dubai is known as the city of gold. What if I told you we found an ice cream that did justice to the tag? We give you our 11th pick for the month, a 24k gold ice cream.
#11 Gold Ice cream:
If you’re feeling like a king or queen, indulge in some edible gold …
History of gold on food:
Putting sheets of edible gold on food is an ancient tradition. Food historians generally agree the practice of using precious metals to garnish food originated in the Indian subcontinent, spread to China, then across the Middle East to Europe. Gold was also employed as a food colorant, decoration, and obvious display of wealth.
According to a Harper’s Bazaar article, The Gold Rush written by Joni Miller in 1992: “Embellishing foods with precious metals is a centuries-old tradition that originated in the East, where it served as a symbol of hospitality and wealth, a garniture to honour the presence of a special guest at the table. Edible silver foil was widely used by Moguls in India to decorate elaborate preparations of sweetmeats, kebabs, and special rice dishes at court... In Europe, a medieval banquet concluded with dramatic slabs of gilded gingerbread dotted with gold-brush cloves. Later, Elizabethan decorated their tables with piles of gold-spangled pomegranates, oranges, and grapes. To this day, Japanese artisans who gild screen gather up their skewings at the end of the workday, mix them in sake, and then sip it all down as a thank-you to the gods for their creative powers.”
However, recently, the trend has taken social media by storm. From chicken wings and sushi to cake, chefs around the world are putting edible gold on food to make it more appealing. Gold leaf is typically sold in sheets or as flakes. Is it really edible? Yes. Getting gold as pure as possible, nothing less than 22 to 24 carats is advised as they have less impurities and are safe to eat. Gold passes through the digestive system without getting absorbed by the body, so it is harmless. However, it adds nothing to the taste or texture of the dish. It is mostly used for appearance and as a sign of prosperity.
Like gold, edible silver is also a common food decoration, especially in Indian sweet making.
The Rolling Luxury
The Rolling Luxury available at Rolling Cones, Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights is a chocolate and vanilla soft serve scoop in a waffle cone that is topped with a thin sheet of edible 24 karat gold, and chocolate crunchies. At the bottom of the cone, customers can find Ferrero Rocher sauce with hazelnuts and wafers. The ice cream comes in different flavours: French vanilla, chocolate and Lotus and pistachio.
Partner Rajeev Shah said: “The ice cream represents everything ‘Dubai’. It luxurious, yet affordable, which is something, Dubai is known for. We tried to incorporate that into the ice cream. He added that Dubai is also known for its different spice souqs, which is why saffron is used as garnish on the ice cream, after the gold is added.
Information:
Price: Dh55
Where: Rolling Cones at Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights
Availability: Scoopi Café has an edible gold Sundae that is Dh2,999. If you’re looking for edible gold on food then head to 24 Karat Restaurant at Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf, Za’abeel, Dubai and Trophy Room at Fairmont Dubai, Shaikh Zayed Road are your options.
If you are just looking for gold, head to the Dubai Gold Souq to shop.
