"Nobody remembers why milkshakes are called malteadas in Spanish," Eugenio Palmeiro tells me while he gives me a sample of his malt-flavored ice cream to taste. "They used to be made of malt, and that's why they are still called that." "But nowadays in Mexico, they are made with just ice cream and milk, right?" I ask. "Yes, they are," he sighs.
Palmeiro Ice Cream Shop in México City. All photos by Mauricio Castillo. Eugenio Palmeiro.
Eugenio Palmeiro is already an iconic character of the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City. He always greets his neighbors and offers ice cream samples to everyone. And he also happens to sell the best milkshakes in the city.
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"We have ice cream for pets, too," he tells to a guy that walks by with his dog, as he remembers his childhood in Cuba where he had many heart-warming memories—the flavors of his favorite ice creams from the famous Coppelia Ice Cream Shop among them. "Many years ago, their ice cream was made with concentrated cream and that's why they were so delicious," he tells me with a trace of nostalgia in his voice. "Now, things have changed and I've been told that they are nothing like they used to be back then."
He creates everything from scratch every day with scientific precision. It's not a coincidence that Eugenio studied to become a nuclear chemical engineer and a molecular biologist. He worked in the field in Russia until the infamous nuclear accident in Chernobyl, when his program was suspended, forcing him to return to Cuba. Once he was back on the Caribbean island, he worked on investigating HPV, HIV, and other diseases until he met a Mexican family that invited him to visit their country.
When he arrived in Mexico in 2000, the country was in the midst of a turbulent political environment right before the general elections. He tried to get a job in the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, but it didn't prosper, so he went on to work at a clinical analysis lab.
In his free time, he made ice cream because he couldn't find any that resembled the scoops he used to enjoy in Havana. "I finally stopped working as a chemist and started making ice cream because I didn't like how they make them here."
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His ample knowledge in chemistry made it easier for him to find the perfect recipe and to turn into the "Walter White of cold treats." While working in the lab, he began to move his frozen dairy products into small gastronomical fairs, until little by little, what started as a hobby turned into a full-time job.
These days, Eugenio makes ice cream and milkshakes that are as addictive as those blue crystals made by Heinsenberg, but unlike the TV character, he doesn't need to hide. You can find him in stall #507 of the Medellín market in the Colonia Roma neighborhood and ask him for a sample of his premium product: custard ice cream. But be careful: don't get hooked on it. "Once you try it, you won't be able to stop."
