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My Childhood Memories #2: What is an Egg Cream?
Against the wind
Last night I drank this truly amazing egg cream.
Of course, if you’re not from New York or Chicago, and of a certain age, you have no idea what an egg cream is.
Just so you know, an egg cream is a type of dessert beverage made of syrup, milk, and seltzer. There are no eggs in an egg cream, and there’s no cream in an egg cream.
After World War II and through the 1980s, almost any New York and Chicago pharmacy with a fountain where you could sit and order a milkshake, a malted, or a soda would have egg creams.
It was one of the most common things to order.
As the world changed and pharmacies no longer served soda pop over the counter, new ethnic groups came to dominate the scene. The idea of egg creams slowly faded into the distance. Now, if you go into almost any soda fountain shop, if you could find one, and order an egg cream you will get a blank stare. Neither the proprietor nor the other customers would have any idea what an egg cream is.
Still, I remember the great egg creams I had as a child with my mom, or after playing ball with my friends.
My mom would order a “2 cents-plain” (a glass of seltzer).
