A few scoops closer to nirvana

The first time I tried to make ice cream, it was a complete failure. I was in middle school at the time, and my assistants were in elementary school, which could have had something to do with it. After we combined the ingredients, we froze the concoction, crushed it, refroze it and crushed it some more. The result was far from the creamy goodness I used to beg my parents for. My dreams of home confection dashed, I chose the next best route ― sampling ice cream. My work ranged from chasing down ringing ice cream trucks to cleansing my palate between courses with a melon-ball-sized scoop of sherbet. For all of those ice-cream-induced feel-good moments, I do not know who to thank. The history of ice cream is filled with folklore. Some say when Marco Polo traveled the world, he returned to Europe with recipes for “water ice” taken from China. The Italians went on to perfect gelato. Others say that the coup de grace for a banquet hosted by Charles I of England was a new dish resembling creamy, sweet snow. The king ordered the chef to keep the recipe secret. Before all this, the Roman emperor Nero Claudius Caesar supposedly sent slaves to the mountains for fresh snow and ice, which were used to cool and freeze his favorite fruit drinks. In Korea, my ice cream sampling continues, aided by a burgeoning ice-cream culture here. Three new parlors show that franchises are more popular than mom-and-pop places, but without fail, service comes with a tasty treat and a smile. Palazzo del Freddo Giovanni Fassi (02) 3445-2786 Apgujeong-dong Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays Italy’s Palazza del Freddo is a century-old Roman institution affectionately called “Fassi’s place.” According to Time Out Italy, “Service is as unfailingly irascible as ever and the crowds can be difficult to elbow your way through, but the ices are never less than sublime.” The institution has landed in Korea, with a perhaps less aggressive but still eager crowd. Palazzo del Freddo opened its doors in Apgujeong-dong in April. Thirty-two flavors are showcased, with the recipes altered a bit to match local taste buds. The result is smooth and silky, with the most popular flavor being plain yogurt. But also notable is riso, or rice pudding. The rice has been cooked until it’s nearly soft, but still with a little crunch left. The tiramisu “tastes just like the cake!” exclaims one guest. Cioccolato has an initially bitter taste, like real chocolate. Fassi’s is also famous for la caterinetta, a concoction of whipped honey and vanilla. Artegelato Ice Cream (02) 3143-5625 In the Hongdae University area Open 10:30 a.m. to midnight When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Eat gelato. When Jang Won-deuk went to Italy, he sampled the lemon gelato at Artegelato. Heaven opened up and the angels started singing. “It was fantastic,” Mr. Jang says. Years later, after working in Europe for 10 years as a fashion designer, Mr. Jang returned to Korea and brought Artegelato ― but not the lemon flavor. “I can never replicate the taste of that lemon gelato,” explains Mr. Jang. As a perfectionist and a man with a taste for exquisite things, he has created a small gelato haven in the neighborhood of Hongdae. From the floor-to-ceiling window in front, the setting looks more like an artist’s workshop than an eatery. The left wall of the interior is lit with bright red, yellow and orange stripes. Four individual white tables seat about a dozen people in total. The store opened in June. But on to the gelato. The recipe is milk-based and low-fat. The formula and some of the dry ingredients are from Italy, but the fruits are Korean- grown. The recipe has been altered so that the gelato does not melt too quickly. “In Korea, there is no appreciation for ice cream dripping down a cone ― yet,” Mr. Jang says. The most popular flavor is Arte’s yogurt. It’s rich, so you might want to begin with a lighter flavor. The second most popular flavor is gandui, which is tiramisu-based. The peach is light, with small chunks of fruit. The flavors I tried, including green tea, all had a clean aftertaste. In all, fifteen flavors are usually on display. Ben & Jerry’s Near Gangnam subway station (02) 501-1424 Near Jongno 3-ga station (02) 725-4905 Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. One day a year, Ben & Jerry’s offers free ice cream. At home in the United States, everyone’s calendars seemed to be marked so as not to miss Free Cone Day. If it fell on a work day, staff members would go missing, claiming to be on the world’s longest “cigarette break.” They’d return with a child’s guilty smile. On May 14, Children’s Day, Korea’s Ben & Jerry’s held a Free Cone Day. They served ice cream to 4,320 people, who polished off 60 bulk boxes of the stuff. They also set up donation boxes for the Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps children. For besides the rich ice cream, part of the draw of Ben & Jerry’s is its humanitarian side. In addition to the Hope Foundation, Ben & Jerry’s in Korea also works with charities such as Habitat for Humanity and Planting Love. Ben & Jerry’s creates shops with a cozy, slightly off-kilter atmosphere. The walls might bear drawings of cows, the colors might be glowingly bright. The flavors have zany names, like Chubby Hubby, and even stranger ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s made its name on chunky, offbeat recipes. Flavors may include bits of pretzels, chocolate or brownies. But there are traditional flavors too, like vanilla and sorbets. While ice creams are generally packaged with 50 percent air, Ben & Jerry’s is only 17 percent. This makes for a rich mouthful, as decadent as it gets. With the most popular flavors in Korea being Cherry Garcia, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chunky Monkey, Strawberry Kiwi Sorbet and NY Superfudge Chunk, ice cream culture should continue to grow here. Seems people are catching on to the best stuff already. By Joe Yong-hee / Staff Writer