Peach Melba facts for kids
 |
|
| Type | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Created by | Auguste Escoffier |
| Main ingredients | Peaches, raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream |
Peach Melba is a yummy dessert made with peaches, raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream. A famous French chef named Auguste Escoffier invented it in 1892 or 1893. He created it to honor a talented Australian opera singer named Nellie Melba.
Contents
How Peach Melba Was Invented
In 1892, the famous opera singer Nellie Melba was performing in London. She was singing in an opera called Lohengrin. To celebrate her success, a special dinner party was held at the Savoy Hotel.
For this party, Chef Escoffier made a unique dessert for Nellie Melba. He served fresh peaches over vanilla ice cream. This was presented in a silver dish placed on an ice sculpture of a swan. A swan is an important symbol in the opera Lohengrin. Escoffier first called this dessert Pêche au cygne, which means "peach with a swan."
A few years later, Escoffier made a small change to the dessert. He added a sweet raspberry purée on top. He then renamed the dish Pêche Melba to honor Nellie Melba even more.
Different Ways to Make Peach Melba
The original Peach Melba uses simple ingredients. These are "tender and very ripe peaches, vanilla ice cream, and a purée of sugared raspberry."
Some people make small changes to the recipe. They might use other fruits like pears, apricots, or strawberries instead of peaches. Sometimes, they use different sauces like melted redcurrant jelly instead of raspberry purée. However, Chef Escoffier himself believed that changing the recipe would "ruin the delicate balance of its taste."
What is Pijama?
Peach Melba is thought to be the inspiration for a dessert called pijama in Catalonia, Spain. A famous restaurant in Barcelona called 7 Portes is said to have created it in 1951.
At that time, officers from the U.S. Sixth Fleet often ate at 7 Portes. They would order Peach Melba for dessert. The name "Peach Melba" sounded like pijama (which means "pajamas" in Catalan) to the kitchen staff. So, the dessert became known as pijama.
The pijama dessert spread throughout Catalonia. There are many different versions of it. But it usually includes ice cream, flan, and fruit in syrup, like peaches or pineapple. Even though it might seem old-fashioned today, pijama is an important part of Catalan cuisine.
Peach Melba in Pop Culture
Peach Melba has appeared in different ways in popular culture.
For example, a very fancy version of Peach Melba was served as the last dish at a famous restaurant called elBulli before it closed in 2012. This was a special tribute to Chef Escoffier.
Also, in the TV show The Expanse, a character named Amos Burton calls another character, Clarissa Mao, "Peaches." This is a fun play on her alias, Melba Koh, and the dessert Peach Melba.
See also
In Spanish: Pêche Melba para niños
