Kulfi

Kulfi is a frozen dairy dessert of the Indian subcontinent. It is often described as “traditional Indian ice cream”. Kulfi originated in the 16th centre Delhi during the Mughal era.

Kulfi is denser and creamier than regular ice cream. In comes in various flavours, with traditional ones including cream, rose, mango, cardamom, saffron and pistachio. Unlike ice cream, Kulfi is not whipped, which results in a solid, dense dessert similar to frozen custard.

The word kulfi comes from the Persian qulfi (قلفی) meaning “covered cup”. The dessert originated in Delhi during the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. The mixture of dense evaporated milk was already popular in the sweet dishes in the Indian subcontinent. During the Mughal period, this mixture was flavoured with pistachios and saffron, packed into metal cones and immersed in slurry ice, resulting in the invention of kulfi. Ain-i-Akbari, a detailed record of the Mughal emperor Akbar’s administration, mentions use of saltpeter for refrigeration as well as transportation of Himalayan ice to warmer areas.