Míša at 50

What would be the Czech equivalent of ‘American as apple pie’? As Czech as… beer? Dumplings? The manufacturers of Míša – a quark-based ice cream – may well argue that their product is one of the nation’s identifying foods.

The time was exactly fifty years ago. Eva Marnounová, Ing., a food technologist, mixed quark with cream and sugar and froze it to see the result. Liking what she’d whipped up, Marnounová put her creation through a lengthy approval process in order to release the product. The committee in charge obviously found it to their liking, and in 1962 Míša went into production.

The early product was made entirely by hand. A team of 18 workers mixed the ingredients in sub-zero temperatures, managing about 1000 ice cream bars an hour. In 1973 the quark was made in a centrifuge, which improved its consistency and increased production. Around this time, Míša took on the shape for which it is known today. The chocolate coating was added as a means of preventing at least some of the treats running down a person’s hand as it melted.

Unfortunately, other details regarding the ice cream’s birth have not been recorded. Why did Marhounová decide to mix quark with cream and put it in the freezer in the first place? What was involved in the approval process, and why call it Míša, which apart from being the short form of Michaela , is the Czech word for a teddy bear? We contacted the company to get to the bottom of these mysteries. On their website is a quote from Marnouhová saying, “Ice cream, it was my hobby.” The rest they weren’t able to answer.

I suppose that the manufacturers of the ice cream would no doubt take these results – or at least those from the first survey – as proof of Míša’s appeal. The more dubious would point to the limited choice in both surveys and the small sample group of the second. Not to mention that the names are mentioned as opposed to asking people to say what their favorite is.

But the surveys show the presumption of popularity. Maybe people aren’t eating the ice cream all the time – and looking around me I can’t say I see it everywhere – but the brand and popularity go together. And, to be honest, it is the ice cream most people I know tend to have it in their freezer. Ruská zmrzlina comes in second, but maybe it’s just the people I know.

Which means that Czechs must really like quark. As mentioned before, it does feature in a number of desserts, and they’re not entirely alone in their fondness for the soft mild cheese. If it is a case of just liking it, what accounts for that? I don’t know. Each nation has its tastes. Australians are fond of Vegemite.

Personally, I’ve got nothing against quark; I wouldn’t think of freezing it, but that’s just me. The ice cream is certainly tasty, and a little different from others on the market, but it’s hardly the first one I reach for. But it seems I’m in a minority.

Have you had a Míša? What do you think?

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