The oldest café in Paris and the story of ice cream
Even someone like me who loves the south of France and the Pyrenees can be tempted to travel north from time to time. A few weeks ago, I visited the oldest café in Paris – Le Procope – and that reminded me how ice cream came to France. Now that we are in the height of summer when iced drinks and ice cream are particularly welcome, this seemed to be the perfect moment to share the story.
At Le Procope, history starts in the street: the building is classified as a Monument Historique because of its 18th-century façade and wrought iron balcony railings. Inside, history takes on more of a culinary flavour.
Italian ice cream
According to legend, Catherine de’ Medici introduced sorbets to France when she married the future Henri II in 1533. More serious study suggests the French had to wait at least another 50 years before they could sample ice cream on their home soil. And then, in 1692, a Frenchman called Audiger published a book in which he included several recipes for ice cream and sorbets. He had discovered these delicious novelties while travelling in Italy.
At around the same time, other recipes and techniques were imported by a young Italian - Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli. He perfected a machine to make ice-cream, and in 1686 he opened Le Procope, midway between the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Pont Neuf in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.
Illustrious customers
Le Procope quickly became fashionable, largely because of Francesco’s ice-creams, and it attracted the likes of Voltaire, Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin. By the time Thomas Jefferson took up his post as Ambassador of the United States to France in 1784, the café had added a restaurant and Jefferson was a regular diner.
During the Revolution, various historical events took place here, or are reputed to have taken place here. Danton and Robespierre were regular customers, and so was Marat before he was stabbed to death in his bath. Harder to confirm is the claim that the Phrygian cap – a piece of red headwear favoured by the revolutionaries – was first seen on someone’s head in this café.
Absinthe and ice cream
Jump forward another century, and there are several paintings or photographs of the alcoholic poet Paul Verlaine drinking, sleeping or writing in the Café Procope. He is always alone, perhaps because of his reputation for violence.
A new take on afternoon tea!
I visited Le Procope peacefully, soberly and in the company of my wife and a friend. For historical reasons, I insisted that we all try the ice cream. For drinks, we each chose something different: red wine, white wine and absinthe (this was served by the waitress in the traditional way: cold water drizzled over a sugar cube placed on a slotted spoon above a glass of absinthe.)
I won’t say which drink was mine. I shall also keep the size of the bill a secret because it would be a shame to discourage you from visiting such an elegant establishment that is overflowing with history.
The ice business
Before ice-making machines became commercially available in the mid-19th century, the production, storage and distribution of ice was a complicated business, and without ice, no one could make ice cream or sorbet. The history of this industry is explored in my book Menu from the Midi, or you can start with a taster here: On the ice house trail.
