China has entered Toufu on July 17th, the first phase of Sanfu. In the Chinese lunar calendar, Sanfu refers to the hottest period of the year, which includes three phases, that is, Toufu, Zhongfu and Mofu. On the long, hot summer days, few people have a good appetite. Ice cream and fruit sound more refreshing than a bowl of hot noodles.
7月17日我国正式进入“头伏”，也就是三伏天的第一阶段。在中国农历中，三伏天意味着一年中最热的一段日子，前中后分为“头伏”、“中伏”和“末伏”三个阶段。在漫长的炎炎夏日中，人们的胃口常常欠佳，这个时候，相比一碗热气腾腾的汤面，冰激凌和水果就显得更加诱人了。
Ice cream may be deemed as western dessert: the classic creamy texture is quite different from Chinese tastes. Actually, Chinese people have enjoyed "ice cream" in summer since ancient time. Here are some icy delicacies on summer days in ancient China and currently popular ones.
冰激凌在我们印象中总是显得很西式：经典细腻的口感和我们东方的口味显得相距甚远。但实际上，中国的古人很早就开始享用那时的“冰激凌”了，接下来我们就来看一下古时和现在的一些夏日冰爽佳品。
Icy Delicacy Favored by Royals and Nobles — Sushan
皇家风范的“酥山”
Sushan is a dish that looks like crushed ice with milk and butter. Wang Lingran, a Chinese Tang Dynasty Poet, described how people made and enjoyed Sushan in his poem Ode to Su He Shan. According to the text, sugar was added to Sushan of different shapes. Sometimes, Sushan was decorated with flowers and leaves to make it more beautiful.
酥山看起来就像淋上牛奶和黄油的刨冰。在唐朝诗人王泠然的《苏合山赋》中详细讲了唐人制作、使用酥山的过程。酥山上加入糖，可将其变换为各种形态，辅以花朵和绿叶点缀，更显美丽诱人。
His poem is cited by many scholars as evidence that Sushan is an early form of ice cream. However, only the royals and nobles were lucky enough to have large iceboxes to make this delicacy in summer.
很多学者认为王泠然对酥山的描绘证明了其作为我国最早的“冰激凌”的起源，但是在那时，只有王公贵族在炎炎夏日才有这番待遇能够享受到冰凉美味的酥山。
Simple, Refreshing Icy Treats
简单、沁人的“冰”品
Although there were no fridges in ancient times, iceboxes to store ice cubes in summer were very common in rich families by the Tang Dynasty.
尽管古人没有冰箱，但发明出了储存冰块的冰盒，到了唐朝，这种器具已经在富贵人家中很普遍了。
At that time, common people could only afford ice water and shaved ice. People could easily buy iced beverages on the street during the Song Dynasty. For the benefit of the community, some rich people even offered free ice water and medicine to people in need on the street for free in hot summer.
但那时，普通人能享用到的“冰品”其实只有冰水和刨冰那么简单，在宋朝，冰镇饮料已经在大街小巷中普及。作为社会慈善的一部分，有些富人家还会在街上免费提供冰水和解暑药给需要的人。
Mung beans and licorice were often added to ice water sold during the Song Dynasty to help prevent heat stroke.
宋朝人喝的冰水中还常常加入绿豆和甘草，用来防止中暑。
Resurrection from Brick-shaped Ice Cream to Fancy Sundaes
从冰砖到圣代的华丽蜕变
In recent years, classic Chinese brands of ice cream and popsicles are finding new ways to lure customers back, and here we see how Yimin, a time-honored Shanghai brand did the trick.
我国经典的冰糕品牌近年来不断探索新方法，吸引消费者的目光。上海的老字号益民食品厂，便是一个典型的例子。
Speaking of Yimin's classic products, one has to mention its brick-shaped dessert which became one of the most popular ice cream after going on sale in the 1950s. Its popularity continued through the 1980s and 1990s, making it an important part of the childhood memory of several generations. Its size and shape resembled a soap bar. And consumers would dip it in soda water, mix it with cookies and fruits, or even use it as a dressing for fruit salad after it melts.
说到益民旗下的经典产品，不得不提那“光明冰砖”。自上世纪50年代问世以来，直到80、90年代，一直都是夏天最热门的冷饮之一，陪伴了好几代人走过了童年的夏天。冰砖的形状如一块肥皂，顾客买来不仅可以直接吃，还可以泡上苏打水，拌入曲奇饼干和水果，甚至还可以任其融化，倒在水果沙拉上吃，可谓是吃法繁多。
However, in the new century, a large number of imported ice cream brands began to compete with domestic brands for more market share. In recent years, local brands eventually started to fight back after years of stagnation – including the creative "Tri-color Cup" and this year's new product: Durian Sundae. If these new delicious treats will offer you nostalgia as a bonus, why not give it a try?
新世纪以来大量的外资冰激凌品牌涌入使得本土品牌的生存空间越来越小。在经历了多年的停滞不前后，近年国产品牌开始逐渐发力，推出了新款“三色杯”，今年还推出了创意满满的“榴莲圣代”。当浓醇的美味得以创新和延续，加上一丝清新的怀旧情怀，何尝不去尝试一下老字号的新产品呢？