Summertime means basking in the sun, taking a dip in the pool, and eating plenty of seasonally appropriate fare. Some foods are simply synonymous with the warmer months, from hot dogs to popsicles and everything in between. But even though it’s hard to imagine a backyard barbecue without those summertime treats, some people may be wondering where those recipes came from in the first place.
Whether they originated in America or Europe, created out of necessity or completely by accident, these items have since become mainstays of summertime menus around the globe. Here are six places where some of the most popular summer foods were invented.
Lobster Roll - Milford, Connecticut
The tiny town of Milford, Connecticut lies adjacent to the Long Island Sound just outside of New Haven. While oysters and clams have played a key role in the city’s commercial development, the town is also known as the birthplace of one of the most beloved summertime seafood snacks: the lobster roll. Lobster rolls are often associated with Maine, but it was a local Connecticut establishment called Perry’s that first conceived of the dish back in the 1920s. Restaurant owner Harry Perry created the dish for a customer who wanted a quick lobster meal to go, opting to place warm lobster salad over bread. The result was an immediate sensation, and the restaurant even installed a massive sign that read, “Home of the Famous Lobster Roll.” Though Perry’s is long gone and no longer found at its original location, the restaurant’s legacy lives on, having inspired countless other lobster roll eateries throughout all of New England.
Popsicles - Oakland, California
Frank Epperson may not be a household name, but this unlikely inventor is responsible for coming up with popsicles when he was just 11 years old. In 1905, Epperson absentmindedly left his cup of soda with a stirring stick on the porch overnight, during which temperatures dropped below freezing. Such cold weather was a rarity in the Oakland area, where Epperson lived, but those unusual temperatures proved to be a blessing in disguise. The next day, Epperson discovered his drink had frozen over and transformed into a delicious treat, which he dubbed the “Epsicle.” Epperson brought the idea to his schoolmates, who loved the frozen treat, and years later he later introduced it to his own children. His kids referred to the treat as “Pop’s ‘sicle,” a name that Epperson patented in 1923. That same year, Epperson extended his sales beyond his hometown by selling the Popsicle at Neptune Beach in the San Francisco area, and it ballooned in popularity. So the next time you hear the bells of a passing ice cream truck, you can thank Frank.
Gazpacho - Andalusia, Spain
The idea of eating soups in the summertime is frankly uncomfortable, as the last thing you want on a hot summer’s day is a warm bowl of broth. That’s what makes gazpacho so unique. This cold tomato soup originated in the Andalusia region of Spain, the southern portion of the country. The soup was conceived of after tomatoes were brought to Spain in the 16th century, as it incorporates fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and peppers that combine to make it a crisp, cool appetizer. Furthermore, the dish contains bread crumbs that are added for thickness, and the name “gazpacho” is actually derived from the Arabic word for “soaked bread.” Though gazpacho was originally made by women for their husbands working in the fields under the hot summer sun, it quickly spread as a delicious dish that everyone could enjoy.
Hot Dogs - Frankfurt, Germany
Sausages are one of the oldest foods still eaten today, as they were mentioned as far back as the 9th century BCE in Homer’s epic work, the Odyssey. But while sausages are many millennia old, the modern hot dog’s origins stem from a more recent culinary invention known as the German frankfurter, which perhaps not so shockingly comes from the town of Frankfurt. Local legend claims that the frankfurter was first created in 1487, with German immigrants later bringing the dish over to America beginning in the 1860s. Those German expats sold frankfurters from street carts alongside sauerkraut and rolls, a tradition that continues in New York City today. The frankfurter was further improved upon with the introduction of a beef hot dog from Vienna, Austria, that debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. In that same year, hot dogs became common fare at baseball stadiums thanks to St. Louis Browns team owner Chris Von de Ahe, further solidifying the dish as a summertime staple. In the years since, countless eateries have attempted to improve on the hot dog, with one establishment in Rockaway Beach, New York, claiming to have invented corn dogs in 1939.
Coleslaw - The Netherlands
Big bowls of coleslaw can be found at every summertime barbecue, and we have the Netherlands to thank for that. This beloved side dish can trace its origins back to the 18th century when the Dutch conceived of a chopped cabbage salad known as “koolsla.” The first recipe appeared in the 1770 cookbook known as The Sensible Cook: Dutch Foodways in the Old and New World, in which the author credits his landlady for the recipe. Shortly thereafter, coleslaw was brought over to America — specifically New York — by Dutch settlers. Though each American region has their own unique recipe for coleslaw, the original dish included thinly-sliced strips of cabbage mixed with melted butter, vinegar, and oil.
Ice Cream Sandwiches - New York, New York
Though we know them as ice cream sandwiches today, these refreshing summer treats originated as “hokey pokeys.” In the late 19th-century, New York City street vendors began selling ice cream held together by two pieces of paper, and while that food wasn’t entirely edible, the concept laid the groundwork for the modern ice cream sandwich we know today. Seeking to improve on the dish, vendors replaced the paper with sponge cake — which proved to be too messy — and later graham crackers, which held their shape better. In 1928, the ice cream sandwich was revolutionized at a San Francisco ice cream store, where a man named George Whitney put a scoop of ice cream between two oatmeal cookies. This culinary experiment paved the way for the famous “chipwich” which was created in 1978, and helped inspire many other handheld ice cream treats.
