Ice cream

Ice cream is a frozen dairy treat made using cream or butterfat, sugar, milk, and flavorings. Other versions, such as French-type ice cream and frozen custard also include eggs. Several flavors have been created for ice cream, including chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Ice cream and cake giant Baskin-Robbins currently sell over 1,400 flavors of ice cream; an incredible amount of change compared to its original 31 flavors.

## History

### Early Accounts of Ice Cream

The origins of ice cream have been dated back to at least the 2nd century B.C. While the exact date and the exact inventor isn't known, "Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar," and "Roman Emperor Nero is said to have sent his slaves into the mountains to fetch snow to mix with nectar, fruit pulp, and honey, although this widely told tale may be a myth." The Biblical Book of Proverbs, written by King Solomon, notes that he may have enjoyed a similar iced drink. "People in the Persian Empire put snow in a bowl, poured concentrated grape juice over it, and ate it as a treat." Centuries later, Marco Polo would create a recipe for a frozen treat similar to today's sherbet. China's T'ang Dynasty are believed to be the first to eat what is today known as ice cream, where 94 "ice men" brought "ice to the palace to make a dish made of koumiss (heated, fermented milk), flour, and camphor." Later, the Arabs created sherbet, a drink which is similar to ice cream.

### Ice Cream in Europe

Catherine de Medici introduced ice cream to France when she married Henry II, and the treat was made available to the general public in 1660. In Italy, these drinks began to be turned into frozen desserts, with Antonio Latini creating what we now know as sorbet and what historians consider the first official ice cream. Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli opened Il Procope in 1686, becoming the first French café. The café introduced what we now know as gelato, the Italian version of sorbet, to France. Nicolas Audiger began experimenting with fromage, a treat similar to ice cream.

### Ice Cream in the USA

On May 19, 1744, ice cream was introduced to the New World, where the word "Ice cream" was put into use. In 1777, Philip Lenzi created the first advertisement for ice cream in the *New York Gazette*. George Washington, the first president of the United States, had a taste for ice cream, as he bought around $200 for ice cream in 1790. Thomas Jefferson also had a taste for the treat, having a recipe for vanilla ice cream and for what is today known as a Baked Alaska. Some say that Jefferson even had several ice houses with the capacity of holding 62 wagonloads of ice and large amounts of ice cream. In 1800, ice cream was no longer a treat for just the rich and famous, as "insulated ice houses were invented." First Lady Dolley Madison served strawberry ice cream for her husband, James Madison, in 1813. In 1832, Augustus Jackson created several ice cream recipes and a technique to produce ice cream. In 1843, Nancy M. Johnson would get a patent for today's freezers, making it easier to store ice cream. In 1851, Jacob Fussell became the first person to open an ice cream factory, becoming "the father of the wholesale ice cream industry." During Abraham Lincoln's presidency, his wife Mary Todd Lincoln held "strawberry parties" for their friends, with strawberries, cake, and ice cream. In 1874, soda jerks and soda foundations became popular with the invention of the ice cream soda, but received backlash from religious groups "for eating "sinfully" rich ice cream sodas on Sundays." In response, they created what is now known as the ice cream sundae. Italo Marchiony created the ice cream cone in 1896 in Italy, and later got a patent in the United States on September 22, 1903. In 1920, Harry Burt introduced ice cream trucks to the United States. In 1939, ice cream began to be sold at grocery stores around the country, and was banned in Italy by Benito Mussolini due to its status as an "American symbol". At the same time, ice cream began a symbol of WWII morale, with the U.S. Armed Forces becoming "the world’s largest ice cream manufacturers." Throughout the 1940s and 1970s, soda fountains and traditional ice cream parlors began to disappear, with restaurants like Dairy Queen and ice cream shops like Baskin-Robbins selling the tasty treat. "In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month and established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in July."

## References

1. ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica. Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Ice cream." https://www.britannica.com/topic/ice-cream
2. ↑ Baskin-Robbins. Our Story. "A Little Bit of History." https://www.baskinrobbins.com/en/about-us
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 International Dairy Foods Association. "The History of Ice Cream." https://www.idfa.org/the-history-of-ice-cream
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 The Old Farmer's Almanac. "The History of Ice Cream." https://www.almanac.com/history-ice-cream
5. ↑ The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1982. Proverbs 25:13. "Like the cold of snow in time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters."
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 National Day Calendar. "NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY – Third Sunday in July." https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-ice-cream-day-third-sunday-in-july/
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 PBS. Food. The History Kitchen. Avey, Tori. June 10, 2012. "Explore The Delicious History of Ice Cream." https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/explore-the-delicious-history-of-ice-cream/
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 International Dairy Foods Association. "The History of the Ice Cream Cone." https://www.idfa.org/the-history-of-the-ice-cream-cone