Most of Europe’s ice cream is produced in Germany. Almost 160 million gallons were produced in Germany in 2022, according to Eurostat data. This places Germany ahead of France and Italy.
Not only does Germany produce the most ice cream in Europe, but globally known ice cream ideas have also originated in Germany. Neapolitan ice cream or Fürst Pückler Ice is an ice cream composed of three separate flavors (typically vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) arranged side by side in the same container, usually without any barrier between them. The first recorded recipe was created by head chef of the royal Prussian household Louis Ferdinand Jungius in 1839, who dedicated the recipe to the nobleman Fürst Pückler, who also was the namesake of Fürst Pückler Ice (Neapolitan ice cream).
Additionally, and a much younger idea of creative ice cream innovation, is Spaghettieis (spaghetti ice cream). In this dish, vanilla ice cream is extruded through a modified Spätzle press or potato ricer, giving it the appearance of spaghetti. It is then placed over whipped cream and topped with strawberry sauce (to simulate tomato sauce) and white chocolate shavings to represent Parmesan cheese. Spaghettieis was created by second-generation ice cream shop owner Dario Fontanella in the late 1960s in Mannheim, Germany. Now, decades later, some 30 million cups of Spaghettieis are sold in Germany each year. The popular dessert has become a staple in ice cream shops across the country.
Both treats, Fürst Pückler Ice and Spaghettieis, are available in the over 2,480 existing ice cream parlors in Germany.
