Where Did Ice Cream Come From?

There are numerous delicious flavors of ice cream (one popular company promises "31 flavors" but there are even more than that out there in the world) and almost every kid "screams for ice cream" at some point in their lives. Despite its popularity, it is quite unclear where ice cream really originated from and there are many accounts that tell of how this popular frozen treat came into being.

The birth of ice cream can be traced back to the 4th century BC. Early accounts describe how the Roman Emperor Nero in AD 37-68 ordered ice to be brought down from the mountains and to be combined with toppings of fruit. The story also tells of men running from mountains carrying fresh snow, which they flavored with honey and fruit juices.  Another story speaks of King Tang of Shang, China (AD 618-97) who employed a method of mixing ice and milk to create a cold refreshment. This basic foundation of ice cream was most likely brought from China all the way to Europe. Eventually, recipes for milk ices and sherbets were concocted and served in French and Italian royal courts. After Marco Polo’s visit to the Far East, he brought with him a recipe that involved adding milk to flavored ice. The Italians embraced the unique dish, which instantly spread all throughout Europe. In no time, the whole of Europe knew of and absolutely enjoyed “crème ice.”

After some recipe modifications, cream was later substituted for milk. Charles I enjoyed this cold treat so much that he even had a French chef make it for him regularly. In 1686, his son James II paid 1 pound (the British currency) for a feast that consisted of a dozen dishes of ice cream. After the frozen treat was imported to the United States, it became popularly served by some very prominent Americans. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson served ice cream to their guests. In 1700, Maryland’s Governor Bladen was recorded as also having served ice cream to guests.

In 1776, America’s first ice cream parlor opened in New York City. It was the American colonists who first coined the term "ice cream." The term stemmed from the phrase "iced cream," similar to the name for the beverage, "iced tea." The name was later shortened to "ice cream." 

What Is Ice Cream?

In its most basic form, ice cream is quite simple to make. It is mostly made up of cream or milk, sugar, fruits or any flavor of choice, and air. Making ice cream involves mixing the ingredients together and freezing it using machines that will churn the mixture at the same time it is being frozen. This allows for air to be stirred into the mixture and prevents it from freezing like a block. Soft and fluffy ice cream can typically have a volume of as much as 50 percent air.

Nancy Johnson patented the hand-cranked freezer in 1846. This was the basic method of making ice cream back then and is still widely used today. In 1848, William Young patented the "Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer." Ice cream was indeed a fast growing industry. In Baltimore, Jacob Fussell developed the first large-scale commercial ice cream plant in 1851 and on 1897, ice cream molds and scoopers were patented by Alfred Cralle.

Ice cream was then mass produced and the industry became more profitable when mechanical refrigeration was introduced. Ice cream shops and soda fountains have since been icons of American culture. Ice cream is something kids and adults will always have a soft spot for.

Speaking of soft spots, soft ice cream was discovered when British chemists used a different kind of ice cream-making method wherein they doubled the amount of air in the mixture, creating fluffier ice cream. Ice cream soon transformed into many other forms.

Another popular ice cream treat - the Eskimo Pie- was created by Chris Nelson from Iowa. He was an ice cream shop owner and in 1920, he saw a child having difficulty in choosing between a chocolate bar and an ice cream sandwich. Nelson then thought of combining the two to create a chocolate covered ice cream bar. In 1934, the first Eskimo Pie on a stick was made. Summer or not, ice cream will always be a popular treat. According to surveys, vanilla is the number one flavor of choice followed by chocolate, butter pecan, strawberry, Neapolitan (combination of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry), chocolate chip, French vanilla, cookies and cream, vanilla fudge ripple, praline pecan, cherry, chocolate almond, coffee, rocky road, and chocolate marshmallow.