The cool history of hokey pokey
Published on Fri Jul 17 2020 in Community
When you think of summer in New Zealand, you probably think of hokey pokey ice cream. This honeycomb and vanilla treat is our second favourite ice cream flavour (second only to plain vanilla), and no doubt brings to mind fond memories of summer sunshine, days at the beach and backyard cricket!
Ice cream had a long history before it reached our shores, but adding honeycomb to the mix makes it uniquely Kiwi. Let’s take a look at how hokey pokey became one of our food favourites.
The invention of ice cream
Enjoying sweet and cold foods is an idea much older than you may realise. Ancient Persians, Greeks, and Romans all ate snow or shaved ice mixed with fruits, honey and other flavourings to help beat the heat. These treats were a real novelty, as snow and ice had to be brought hundreds of kilometres from the mountains to the cities.
Other cultures, such as the Chinese and groups in India, began mixing dairy milk and eggs into the ice. These desserts were much closer to what we know as ice cream now.
By the 1600s ice cream recipes had travelled to Europe, where they were enjoyed by royalty and the wealthy. They were also introduced to North America, where famous Americans, like Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin, regularly served ice cream to their guests.
Ice cream for everyone
Because shipping and storing ice was so expensive, ice cream was only a treat for the rich for much of its history. However, as people worked out better ways to keep foods cold in summer, its popularity began to grow.
Hand churns made it easier to make ice cream at home and for sale. Ice cream stands began popping up in cities around England and America by the 1850s. This was the first time many people tasted ice cream, and it was a big hit! Soon new inventions and recipes such as the ice cream cone, sundae and banana split were introduced.
Ice cream comes to NZ
Kiwis got a taste for ice cream about the same time as the rest of the world. Immigrants in the 1800s brought recipes to New Zealand, so they could continue enjoying their favourite sweet treat. By the 1870s, ice cream could be purchased from shops or street vendors in most cities.
While it’s always been popular, ice cream really took off in New Zealand (and around the world) with the invention of modern refrigerators and deep freezers. The iconic Kiwi ice cream company Tip Top opened in 1935, selling ice cream and milkshakes in its Wellington milk bar. And it seems they opened their doors at just the right time – American servicemen stationed here during World War II really loved their ice cream. Kiwi ice cream production grew from four million litres a year to 10 million litres during the 1940s!
While it may be a favourite in just about every country, New Zealand has definitely taken to ice cream more than most. We each eat around 20 to 22 litres every year, putting us ahead of our Aussie cousins who only eat around 18 litres! And, Kiwis only like the very best. Ice cream must contain at least 10% milk fat to legally be labelled as ‘ice cream’ in our country.
Do the hokey pokey!
So what about hokey pokey ice cream? This uniquely New Zealand flavour is now exported around the world, but no one’s quite sure how it came to be.
The term “hokey pokey” was once slang for all flavours of ice cream, but specifically the type sold by street vendors. These so-called “hokey pokey men” were often Italian immigrants, and it’s believed that the term was a mishearing of the phrases ecco un poco or oh che poco, which roughly translate to “a little piece”.
Somewhere along the way Kiwis started calling honeycomb toffee “hokey pokey”, mostly forgetting its ice cream meaning. A recipe for hokey pokey was patented in 1897 by William Hatton, but there’s evidence that it existed before he made an official claim.
However, it wasn’t long before the words “hokey pokey” once again made Kiwis think of ice cream. There are several people who claim to have invented the flavour, but one of the best comes from ice cream legend Brian Simon.
Simon says he invented hokey pokey ice cream in 1953 while working at his father’s ice cream factory. Inspired by lolly ice cream flavours from America, Simon thought the idea would go down well in New Zealand. He began sprinkling hokey pokey from broken Crunchie bars into vanilla ice cream, and a Kiwi favourite was born!
Because no one ever trademarked the name hokey pokey, other ice cream companies began selling their own versions shortly after. This is why big brands like Tip Top and Peter Pan also claim that they invented the flavour.
Enjoy a scoop today!
It’s clear that hokey pokey ice cream is truly a Kiwi food favourite, no matter who invented it. Whether you make your own or buy some during your weekly shop, New Zealand life wouldn’t be what it is without this honey-sweet treat!
About Author: Momentum Life is a leading provider of Life insurance and Funeral insurance in New Zealand.
Sources
Wikipedia, Ice cream
Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Food and beverage manufacturing
New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers Association, The History of Ice Cream in New Zealand
YouTube - Archives New Zealand, Moments in Time - Hokey Pokey
Longwhitekid, Hokey Information: Poking at History
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