The renowned singer Dua Lipa sparked a social media craze after an interview on BBC Radio. When asked about her favorite dishes, she replied, somewhat unexpectedly, "You know what I really like? Vanilla ice cream with olive oil and sea salt on top. I've brought so many people over to the dark side with this."
Many people were inspired by her answer and decided to give it a try: vanilla ice cream with olive oil and sea salt. And guess what? It turned out to be a huge success.
It may sound strange, but ice cream with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and a few grains of sea salt offers a perfect flavor combination. And admit it: in Italian, it sounds even more exotic as Gelato con olio e sale.
Jamie Oliver
This dessert first became known here through the popular English chef Jamie Oliver, who documented it in his 2005 cookbook "Jamie's Italy." Today, the recipe circulates on social media as a sort of challenge.
Jamie Oliver described his taste experience as follows: "I was served this dish years ago and was shocked, but it turned out to be incredibly delicious! You can only successfully make it with good vanilla ice cream and the best olive oil available. Put a few scoops of vanilla ice cream in bowls, drizzle some very good extra virgin olive oil over it, preferably one with a beautiful grassy, floral flavor, and sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over it. I can't explain what it tastes like... you just have to try it yourself!”
Origin: Sicily
Research shows that the recipe (or practice) was known in Sicily as early as the beginning of the last century, but it led a somewhat dormant existence there until Jamie Oliver introduced it to millions of people through his cookbook.
Taste Sensation!
The combination of ice cream and olive oil is not as strange as it might initially seem, since ice cream itself contains a significant amount of fat in the form of milk fat. The extra virgin olive oil adds an extra creamy taste to the ice cream, while the sea salt acts as a flavor enhancer and provides a crunchy texture. As a result, a bite of ice cream initially tastes slightly bitter, fruity, and nutty, then soft and salty, and finally leaves a delicious sweet aftertaste.
As Jamie Oliver advises: You just have to try it yourself.
