Magnum is one of those ice creams that is almost impossible not to recognise in Europe. The basic idea has changed remarkably little: vanilla ice cream on a stick covered by a relatively thick layer of chocolate, designed to break with a noticeable crack when you bite into it.
The first Magnum was launched in 1989. Its origins are closely linked with Belgium, where a chocolate coating was developed that could be thick enough to feel like a proper chocolate shell while still working on frozen ice cream. That combination became the defining feature of the product.
The original version was straightforward: vanilla ice cream covered in milk chocolate. The range expanded quite quickly. In 1992, Magnum White and Magnum Almond appeared, establishing two of the variants that are still closely associated with the brand. Since then there have been dozens of versions, including dark chocolate, caramel, raspberry, double-coated bars, smaller Minis and tubs.
What makes a Magnum different from many ordinary chocolate-covered ice creams is mainly the coating. It is deliberately thicker, so the chocolate is a significant part of what you are eating rather than simply a thin shell around the ice cream. The classic version still uses the same basic contrast: cold, soft vanilla in the centre and hard chocolate outside.
The vanilla used in many Magnum products comes from Madagascar, while the cocoa is sourced through certified farms. The precise recipe varies between countries and flavours, which is also why the Magnum selection in a Danish, German, Spanish or Italian supermarket is not always identical.
It has also become an unusually international product. Magnum is now sold in more than 80 countries, meaning it is one of the foods that can keep reappearing during a long European road trip even when almost everything else in the supermarket changes.
There is nothing particularly complicated about it, and that is probably part of the reason it has lasted. It is not trying to reproduce an elaborate dessert. The Classic is still essentially vanilla, chocolate and a wooden stick, while most of the other versions simply change the coating, add nuts or introduce another layer of sauce or chocolate.
The name has become so successful that it now goes beyond the individual ice cream. The wider ice-cream business containing brands such as Magnum, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s is today called The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
After more than three decades, though, the most recognisable Magnum is still the original one from 1989. There are now much more complicated versions on the freezer shelf, but the basic milk-chocolate-covered vanilla bar remains the product that made the name famous in the first place.