Ice Cream Scoop Muster in Zamárdi

“Here comes the great Bagaméri, have your ice cream Jack and Mary,” reading this sentence makes most Hungarians think of Alfonso, portioning the icy delicacy from the metal cauldrons of the ice cream cart in the film version of Bowler-Hat and Potato Nose. The Hirschmann Ice Cream Shop cannot present Alfonso, but a bit of time travel is possible. In the garden surrounded by grape arbours, retro style metal chairs await guests, which are somehow still good to sit on, even though they press zebra stripes onto our thighs when we sit on them in swimsuits. The nostalgic atmosphere also permeates the interior, which is not a surprise, since Hirschmann has been operating since 1965.

The great-grandson of the founder of the business, currently Máté Hirschmann ensures the authentic ice cream experience. The interior is rendered authentic by old ice cream-making tools and equipment, and naturally, the ten metal cauldrons dormant under their covers, hide various ice creams. The repertoire exclusively includes artisanal, locally cooked creamy delicacies, made of organic milk, natural ingredients, and fruit sourced from local producers. Fruit ice creams are free of lactose and gluten. Chocolate, vanilla, bonbon and lemon are always on offer, and among the remaining six flavours, one of the guests’ favourites almost certainly features: the dreamily-named banana nyaflaty, elderberry, brittle, walnut mess or chocolate chip. And yes, it is really worth crowning the pyramid of scoops with some whipped cream and roletti!

The ice cream shop located on the free beach showed considerable courage by opening its counter full of icy miracles right next to Mauro’s restaurant (and ice cream shop).

However, the range of about 20 ice cream flavours is a magnet for customers, which – having weeks of tasting experience – we completely understand.  Besides the classic chocolate-strawberry-vanilla-lemon quartet there is often, among others, Kinder Bueno, Ferrero, Sacher-Torte, pistachio and the dangerously harmonious blueberry cheesecake flavour. The sugar-free ice cream is exclusively made with stevia, therefore the wafer adventure can also be scooped up by those who have exiled sugar and artificial sweeteners from their lives. If before, during or after having an ice cream you yearn for a cup or two of caffeine buzz, choose their specialty coffee and you will not be disappointed.

For some people, real ice cream is when the scoop is placed on the cone in the form of a perfect sphere due to the proficiency of the server. However, sometimes it is nice to have a little variety when eating ice cream.

If the mood for novelty strikes us right in Zamárdi, it’s worth trying Carpigiani’s Italian ice cream. The range of flavours is not so wide, but then the chocolate or vanilla cream monster teeters on your cone in the form of pretty screws, even in a fifty-fifty split. In light of our current belly-capacity it is possible to ask for 70 or 140 grams portions, and if we are completely hedonists, our ice cream can be topped with sugar sprinkles, or a white or dark chocolate sauce which freezes crispy in a few minutes. If we want colours, let’s choose a vanilla base that can have 11 flavour stripes added to it, or cool ourselves down with a shake (vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, coffee or banana), or sip an ice sorbet drink.