Penny Lick
At the beginning of the 19th century, many residents of Italy, after the end of the Napoleonic
wars, began moving to Britain in search of a better life. In their new homeland,
they brought the signature recipe for creamy gelato ice cream, which
became a popular treat in English cities.
Back then, ice cream was sold using a “penny lick” — a glass cup on a sturdy stem. Penny licks were made especially from thick glass in the shape of a cone with a heavy base, so that the buyer would think they were getting a substantial portion of the treat, although for 1 penny the seller put only one small scoop of ice cream into the little cup only one small scoop of ice cream. The name penny lick — “lick for 1 penny” — came from the price of the portion.
wars, began moving to Britain in search of a better life. In their new homeland,
they brought the signature recipe for creamy gelato ice cream, which
became a popular treat in English cities.
But the worst thing about the penny lick was not the optical illusion it created for customers, but the fact that sanitary standards had not yet been established at the time. One customer would finish the ice cream, lick the penny lick clean, and then hand it back to the seller. The seller, in turn, could, without even wiping the cup, put another scoop of ice cream in it and give it to the next customer.
Because of such disregard for hygiene, cholera, tuberculosis, and other diseases began to spread in London. For a long time, people did not connect illnesses with the reuse of unwashed dishes. Only the gradual development of
medicine and biology by the end of the 19th century drew attention to this problem.
medicine and biology by the end of the 19th century drew attention to this problem.
The London authorities finally banned the use of penny licks only in 1899
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