Source of this article: Times Weekly Author: Liu Wenjie
In the hot summer, when it comes to protecting yourself from the sun, heavy rain, and mosquitoes, the one thing you cannot prevent is the "ice cream assassin".
They are best at attracting you by hiding in corners and hiding high prices when you are rushing to the convenience store freezer in sweat, and then stab you hard when you pay, making you feel guilty before you eat. Wow cool wow cool.
There are a dazzling array of ice cream brands in the freezer. Source: Tuchong Creative
There are more and more new ice cream products, which is dazzling. As of April 2022, there are nearly 45,000 ice cream-related companies across the country.
But people are increasingly missing the affordable and thirst-quenching old popsicles , small cones, ice bricks, ice bags... They are the opposite of the "ice cream assassins". They are the "ice cream guards" that people have grown up with since they were snacks. I felt at ease the first time I saw it. It tastes good and the price is right.
Picture source: Internet
In early June, the number of evaluated ice cream orders on the group buying platform exceeded one million. In particular, sales of "Snow Lotus", which costs 50 cents a bag, have soared 199% on takeaway platforms since July.
Not only snow lotus, there are many high-quality and low-priced "ice cream guards".
From the birth of Madier ice cream on Harbin Central Street at the beginning of the last century, to the emergence of Guangming Brick, Arctic Ice Cream, Wuyang Ice Cream in the middle of the last century, to the 1970s and 1980s, Xi'an Bell Tower Small Milk Cake, Gansu 504 Ice Cream It was famous for a while, and the entire 20th century was a period of great explosion of ice cream. Basically every city had a cold drink factory and its own ice cream brand.
In the days before refrigerators, children would always wait in the alley for the ice cream seller to pass by on his bicycle, chase the car, and stretch his neck to see what popsicles were in the wooden box on the car.
Later, refrigerators entered every household, and going wholesale popsicles with their parents became a fond childhood memory for many people.
Times Weekly reporters divided South China, East China, Northeast China, Central China, North China, and Northwest China into regions, selected the ice cream brands and types that were discussed more frequently in each region on social platforms, and calculated the monthly sales of these ice creams on e-commerce platforms. Sales volume (based on the flagship store. For individual ice creams without flagship stores, the current highest sales volume on the platform shall be based on.)
Northeast丨Madiel: Popular for a hundred years
If the history of ice cream eating by Chinese people was written into a book, The ice cream Madiel from Harbin must be on the first page of this book.
As can be seen from the name, "Madiel" has a somewhat foreign flavor - it was the name of a hotel opened by a foreigner on Central Street in Harbin in the early 20th century.
In order to entertain the guests who come to Madier Hotel for consumption, the foreign owner built an ice cellar to store milk. Every summer, the milk lumps are taken out and made into popsicles using ancient methods. This is the prototype of Madier ice cream. Because of its refreshing and delicious taste, Madiel ice cream is widely spread.
Image source: Pixabay
In the Northeast, ice cream can be eaten all year round. In winter, the temperature is tens of degrees below zero, which does not prevent Northeasterners from queuing up to buy Madiel ice cream at Central Street.
This specialty store has continued the recipe of Madiel for more than 100 years. When making, add more eggs, milk, and less ice and water to make the taste softer, easier to bite, and less likely to bite your teeth. When you eat it, it melts in your mouth, and it has a unique sweetness.
In order to avoid multiple processing affecting the taste, the Madier ice cream in the specialty store does not have extra packaging, but is directly packed vertically in a large plastic box. This way of selling it makes people taste it without any "idol baggage".
did not carefully tear open the package, wrap the ice cream in the package and hold it in his hands. Everyone was getting the ice cream one second and stuffing it into their mouths the next. After one sip, my whole body shivered, my mouth was so cold that I couldn't feel it, but my heart kept saying: It feels so good! !
Madiel Ice Cream Source: Tu Chong Creative
looks simple and unpretentious, but in fact the details are in place. For example, every ice cream stick and ice cream has Madiel's name printed on it.
Northeasterners who live in other places hire someone to buy Madiel ice cream on their behalf to satisfy their cravings. This is how to distinguish the authenticity from the fake ones. When sales are good, the Madier store on Central Street alone can sell tens of thousands of ice creams a day.
In the more than a century after the emergence of Madier ice cream, ice cream brands such as Zhongjie Daguo, Daqing Ruby, Laodingfeng have appeared in the Northeast, accompanying generations of Northeasterners to grow up.
East China丨Guangming Ice Brick: Insisting on no price increase for 17 years
Ice Cream Assassin has already appeared in Shanghai in the 1930s. At that time, the domestic ice cream market was almost blank, and the ice cream called "Beauty Brand" was selling well and expensive.
In 1951, the cold drink brand "Guangming" was born. It not only allowed the families of employees in need to receive free cold drink boxes and subsidies, but also allowed workers to carry wooden boxes filled with popsicles on their backs and go around the streets to promote and sell the brand, expanding its influence.
Soon, "Guangming Brand" defeated "Beauty Brand" and became the number one cold drink brand in Shanghai. It brings a sense of coolness to many people living in an era of material scarcity, and also brings hope for life.
The bright ice brick is shaped like its name, square and square, and is packed in a paper box. Just put a small spoonful into your mouth and you will feel the softness and coolness. As your lips and teeth chew, a gentle milky fragrance slowly flows down your throat and into your body.
Source of the picture of how to eat Guangming Ice Bricks shared by netizens: Xiaohongshu APP
In addition to opening the package and eating it directly, Shanghainese also invented ice bricks + oolong tea, ice bricks + American style, ice bricks + sparkling water , etc. The method can be described as “one brick with all kinds of uses”.
Such a treasure, the price of Guangming cold drinks has not increased in 17 years. While other brands of ice cream have sold for more than 7 yuan, Guangming's salt water popsicle sells for 7 cents, and mung bean popsicles only cost 1 yuan.
Due to small profit margins, Guangming Cold Drinks has been rejected by many convenience stores and has almost disappeared from the market.
After the media reported this matter in 2018, many netizens called for a price increase. "On the basis of unchanged quality, an appropriate price increase is acceptable." "Guangming Ice Bricks cannot disappear!"
Finally, Guangming Cold Drinks responded: It will be appropriately increased. The sales price of popsicle products has been raised. Salt water popsicles have increased from 0.7 yuan to 1 yuan per stick, and red bean and mung bean popsicles have increased from 1 yuan to 1.5 yuan per stick.
North China丨Arctic Popsicles: After returning after 20 years, they were snatched up and restricted in purchase.
While Shanghai Guangming Ice Bricks are becoming famous, the Arctic Popsicles from Beijing are also loved by many people.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the happiest thing for children in Beijing every day was waiting for an old lady at the entrance of the alley. No one knew her, but they all knew the white wooden cart she was pushing - it had the word "popsicle" written in two big red letters on it.
The children gathered around the trolley, waiting for the old lady to lift up the quilt on the trolley, feeling the coolness on their faces and driving away the worries of the entire summer.
The company that produced these popsicles was the first ice-making company in Beijing—it was originally called the Peking Ice Factory. After it was state-owned in 1949, it was renamed the Beijing New Ice Factory, and in 1951 the "Arctic Ocean" trademark was officially registered.
Source: Pexels
It was also from this time on that cold drinks such as Arctic soda, popsicles, and ice cream came out one after another. Due to limited production, it was extremely rare at the time. An ice cream called "Bao'er Ling" was even called "Hermès among cold drinks."
After the reform and opening up, after restructuring, Beijing Beibingyang Food Company was established, and popsicles, ice cream, and ice cream were mass-produced.
So carts selling "Arctic Popsicles" began to be seen everywhere on the streets of Beijing.
During the "joint venture wave" of state-owned enterprises in the 1990s, Arctic Ocean Food Company established four joint ventures, but the "Arctic Ocean" brand gradually faded out of the market.
It wasn’t until 2011 that Arctic Ocean announced its return, and in 2016, Arctic Ocean’s “Baoerlin” ice cream was re-launched after 20 years. Baoerlin still uses the familiar packaging, with the trademark pattern of the "Big White Bear" logo, and sells for 6.5 yuan.
Beibingyang Baoerlin Picture source: Xiaohongshu APP
The day Beibingyang "Baoerlin" ice cream came back to the world, many Beijingers came here to buy it, just to regain their memories. Nearly 500 boxes and 10,000 bags of "Baoerlin" were sold within two days. For this reason, the store had to implement a purchase limit of 6 bags per person.
South China丨Wuyang Ice Cream: Lao Guang’s summer memories, high quality and low price
Compared with the simplicity of Guangming Ice Brick, Southern Ice Cream follows the trendy route.
In the 1960s, when cone-type ice cream was not widely sold, Guangzhou's Wuyang Ice Cream Factory successfully attracted attention with its idea of wrapping ice cream balls in handmade cones and its affordable price.
is named "Wuyang", which means that this ice cream has been marked with the city mark of Guangzhou since its birth.
According to legend, the land of Guangdong was desolate in the early years. Five immortals arrived with ears of grain and five sheep. They left the ears of grain to the Cantonese people and flew away. The sheep turned into stone. Therefore, Guangzhou is also called the "Sheep City".
In fact, the childhood of Guangzhou people is indeed accompanied by Wuyang. Lotus cup, flying fish crispy skin, chocolate , custard batch, traffic light, taro cone, red and mung bean batch... Every Guangzhou person knows these names by heart.
Wuyang Cone Classic Flavor Series Source: Screenshot of the official website of Guangdong Light Industry Group
"Traffic Light" is the favorite of children in Guangzhou. It is an ice cream cone with three flavors. The three layers of colorful fruit colors correspond to three different fruit flavors. When you bite open the classic crispy skin on the top, the sweet cantaloupe flavor comes out, followed by bursts of coldness from the strawberry and pineapple layers. It can be refreshing even without air conditioning. summer.
If you buy a cone, Guangzhou people who know how to eat will definitely pinch the body of the cone to check whether it is still crispy. Before eating, the paper cover will be gently opened and the remaining chocolate and peanut bits on it will be licked clean. This is the ritual of eating Wuyang cone.
has many categories, good taste, and low prices. For more than half a century, although it has experienced price increases, the price of Wuyang cones is still only 3.5 yuan. If purchased in bulk through e-commerce, it can even be as low as 2.5 yuan each.
Because of this, even if outsiders come to Guangzhou, it’s hard not to fall in love with Wuyang Ice Cream. After all, when you walk into a convenience store, push open the freezer, and find that they are all ice cream assassins, the 3.5 yuan Wuyang cone in the corner simply shines with its own light, and anyone will pay for it directly.
Northwest丨504 Ice Cream: The Hardest Ice Cream
Among the ice creams born in the 20th century, 504 must be the most special existence. After all, not every ice cream is produced by nuclear factories.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, in order to develop its nuclear industry, China established the earliest enriched uranium production plant in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, called the 504 factory. The factory has successively provided qualified nuclear fuel for China's first atomic bomb, first hydrogen bomb, first nuclear submarine, and first nuclear power plant.
After 1980, the national strategic focus was adjusted from war preparedness to economic development, and the military industry was faced with transformation. Factory 504 was one of the military factories that needed transformation.
In order to transform, 504 Factory established Daming Industrial Company, registered the 504 trademark in 1986, and began to produce ice cream, ice cream and other cold drinks.
For a time, 504 ice cream became popular in Lanzhou. Many children holding dirty and crumpled 40 cents ran on the street looking for bicycles with 28-inch bicycles, which became a unique scene in Lanzhou during that period.
504 ice cream posted by netizens Source: Xiaohongshu APP
There is usually a large white wooden box on the back seat of a Erba Dagang automatic car with "504 ice cream" written in red paint on it. In the large wooden box, there will be cream-flavored, strawberry-flavored, and chocolate-flavored ice cream, respectively wrapped in a layer of paper with red characters on a white background, green characters on a white background, and purple characters on a white background.
There was also a saying at the time: "Why is 504 ice cream so delicious? Because the milk used in 504 ice cream is turned out by nuclear industrial centrifuges (tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of revolutions per minute), and it is extremely pure." Although there is no way to verify it, many children in Lanzhou firmly believe in this sentence.
The happiness of forty cents is the childhood memory of a generation of Lanzhou people. In the mid-to-late 1990s, due to the needs of domestic development planning, 504 ice cream was discontinued.
In recent years, 504 ice cream has returned and appeared in people's field of vision, but it is no longer produced by the same manufacturer.
Central China丨Little Prodigy: The Source of Happiness for Henan People
Counts the heroes of the ice cream industry. There is light in the east, Wuyang in the south, the Arctic Ocean in the north, and 504 in the west.Who is the representative of the central region? I have to mention the little prodigy Tianbing.
Compared with the other ice creams mentioned above, Little Prodigy was "born" later. It was launched in 2002 by Henan local enterprise Tianbing Beverage Co., Ltd.
Little Prodigy initially had four classic flavors: chocolate, cantaloupe, strawberry, and taro, and later added many new flavors such as sea salt lemon, brown sugar plum, cranberry, , etc.
Netizens expressed their love for the Little Prodigy ice cream on social media. Source: Sina Weibo screenshot
Tianbing Little Prodigy cone and Meiyile two-color ice cream are standard for every primary and secondary school student in Henan in the summer. In Henan, if a child walks around the community holding a little prodigy, all the children will definitely be envious.
Many people in Henan have different memories of the little prodigy. Under the Zhihu topic "What is the cheapest happiness you have ever bought?", a netizen said: "The chocolate-flavored little prodigy I bought when I was a child, 1.5 yuan each, is the source of my happiness."
This netizen told how he grew up Whenever you are unhappy, you will buy the experience of a chocolate-flavored prodigy. He recalled that in the process from tearing open the package to putting it in his mouth to eat, every cell in his body was cheering, and all the unhappiness in his heart was torn into pieces and thrown into the trash can along with the wrapping paper, " I feel relaxed after eating (this feeling can only be felt when eating Little Prodigy).”
This netizen’s comment resonated with many netizens. Some people said: “More than ten years have passed, and it used to be 1 yuan but now it is 3 yuan. "It can be seen that the price increase of Little Prodigy Ice Cream is not large.
