Neapolitan ice cream

Neapolitan ice cream, also sometimes referred to as Harlequin ice cream, is an ice cream composed of three separate flavors (typically vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) arranged side by side in the same container, usually without any barrier between them.

History
Neapolitan ice cream was the first ice cream recipe to combine three flavors. The first recorded recipe was created by head chef of the royal Prussian household Louis Ferdinand Jungius in 1839, who dedicated the recipe to the nobleman, Fürst Pückler. The German name for Neapolitan ice cream is Fürst-Pückler-Eis.

Its English-language name of Neapolitan arose in the late 19th century due to confusion about its origin given Italy's reputation for ice cream or because its colors—originally green (pistachio), white (vanilla) and red (cherry)—matched those of the Italian flag. Early recipes featured a variety of flavors, but the combination of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry became the standard, likely because these were the most popular flavors in the United States at the time of its introduction.

Quotes from food historians
"Cosmopolitan slice. A slice of ice-cream cake made with mousse mixture and ordinary ice cream, presented in a small pleated paper case. Neapolitan ice cream consists of three layers, each of a different colour and flavour (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla), moulded into a block and cut into slices. Neapolitan ice-cream makers were famous in Paris at the beginning of the 19th century, especially Tortoni, creator of numerous ice-cream cakes."

"Eighteenth century[...] confectioners' shops [were] very often run by Italians. Consequently ice creams were often called 'Italian ice creams' or 'Neapolitan ice creams' throughout the nineteenth century, and the purveying of such confections became associated with Italian immigrants."

- John F. Mariani, The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink

"Neapolitan ice cream, different flavoured layers frozen together[...] [was] first being talked about in the 1870s."

- Stuart Berg Flexner, I Hear America Talking

"...in a dress of pink and white stripes, strongly resembling Neapolitan ice cream."

- A cultural reference from The New York Times, 1887

19th century descriptions


"You must have a Neapolitan box for this ice and fill it up in three or four layers with different coloured and flavoured ice creams (a water ice may be used with the custards); for instance, lemon, vanilla, chocolate and pistachio. Mould in the patent ice cave for about 1½ to 2 hours, turn it out, cut it in slices, and arrange neatly on the dish, on a napkin or dish-paper."

- "Neapolitan box" (A. B. Marshall, The Book of Ices, 1885)

"These are prepared by putting ices of various kinds and colors into a mold known as a Neapolitan ice box, which, when set and turned out, is cut into slices suitable for serving. However small the pieces, the block should be cut so that each person gets some of each kind. They are generally laid on a lace paper on an ice plate. Four or five kinds are usually put in the mold, though three sorts will do. The following will serve as a guide in arranging: First, vanilla cream, then raspberry or cherry or currant water; coffee or chocolate in the middle; the strawberry cream, with lemon or orange or pineapple water to finish. A cream ice flavored with any liqueur, a brown bread cream flavored with brandy, with a couple of bright-colored water ices, form another agreeable mixture. Tea cream may be introduced into almost any combination unless coffee were used. Banana cream, pistachio, or almond cream with cherry water and damson or strawberry water are other options.

The Neapolitan Ice Spoon has a double use; ice bowl is for putting the mixture into the mold, and the handle is for leveling it. The boxes may be made of tin, which is less expensive than pewter. They are generally sold small enough to make single ices, but these are much more troublesome to prepare. After filling the molds, if there is no cave, 'bed' the ice in the usual way."

- "Neapolitan Icey Cones" (Lizzie Heritage, Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book, 1894)

Cake
In Australia, there is a popular cake known as Neapolitan cake or marble cake, made with the same three colours of Neapolitan ice cream swirled through in a marble pattern, usually topped with pink icing.