In 1952, Kurt and Marianne Tichy opened their first ice cream parlour in the cellar of a building in the working-class, industrial district of Simmering. It was from here that they began peddling their wares around the neighbourhood using three ice cream carts -- or rather, freezer boxes attached to the backs of bicycles. Three years later, Kurt and Marianne upped sticks and relocated their business to what began life as a small shop on Reumannplatz in Vienna's most-populated district, Favoriten, where Tichy has been operating ever since, becoming in time a Viennese institution whose ads are practically inseparable from the city's urban landscape. The design of the Eissalon's interior is a throwback to its 50's roots down to the red-and-white striped uniforms, faded countertops, and analogue signage behind the counter. In the summer, the lines to grab a couple of scoops or perhaps an entire styrofoam tub of their ice cream are not for the faint of heart.
In spite of the popularity of its assorted flavours, Tichy is really known for one thing. In 1967, Kurt Tichy took out a patent on a completely new product he called the Eismarillenknödel. A standard Marillenknödel involves a whole pitted apricot, encased in dough, being boiled until tender and then doused in buttery breadcrumbs. Tichy's Eismarillenknödel is a small ball of intensely-flavoured and almost chewy apricot filling wrapped in vanilla ice cream to form a ball and then 'waltzed' through a coating of hazelnuts so fine they're somewhere between the consistency of breadcrumbs and sand. Knock-off versions are available in supermarkets now, but for the real thing, you have to hop on the U1 underground line, get off at Reumannplatz, and head to Tichy.
