Ice cream sundaes are the perfect food to satisfy the sweet tooth.
There is a certain creaminess of the ice cream, sweetness of the jelly, and the crunch from the nuts…It is just the perfect amalgamation of different flavors and textures.
So, there was this ice cream on my college cafeteria menu called Gadbad, that we all loved.
However, there was one thing always made me wonder. Why would you call an ice cream ‘Gadbad’?
Now, when I tried to rationalize it, I thought it is probably due to a confusion of different flavor combinations.
So, What Really Is Gadbad Ice Cream?
Gadbad icecream is after all typically made with three different flavors of ice cream, some jelly cubes, chopped fruits & crushed nuts and also rose syrup to taste.
This is served in a tall transparent glass with a long spoon. It is a mishmash with no particular taste that stands out distinctly.
While my rationalization wasn’t too far off, that was not the real story behind the name.
Gadbad Ice cream took birth in the kitchens of Hotel Diana, at Udupi in Mangalore.
The story goes like this:
Once there were some visitors at the hotel and they were in a hurry.
They all ordered for the same ice cream. However, there was limited stock. Mr. Mohandas Pai, the founder of the hotel, suggested taking a glass, throwing all the ingredients in it and serving the delicacy.
The customers loved it and came back for the ice cream again. When the waiter asked what ice cream they were asking for, they just said that they want the one that was served in ‘gadibidi’. In Kannada, Gadibidi means, ‘in a haste’ or ‘hurry’.
From then on, the ice cream made its place on the hotel menu. The tourists themselves coined the name of the ice cream as Gadbad, which clearly defines its uniqueness.