The History of Ice Cream

There are not many of us that don’t enjoy Ice cream. The smooth deloious treat is a hit at any time but is more than a hit on a hot summers day. Where did ice cream get it’s start and who gave us this wonderful treat? It can only be speculated on where ice cream originally statred but I think it leaves most of us happy that someone came up with the idea at some point in history. Here are a few facts that may give us some insight on how ice cream originated.

Image via Wikipedia

One theory is that we can credit the Emperor of Rome for bringing this wonderful treat to us. Well, maybe in part, as the Ice Cream he enjoyed was a mixture of snow and nectar with fruit pulp and honey. Not near the Ice Cream that we enjoy today. Another theory is that Marco Polo, in his travels, brought recipes for water ice from the Far East. It is thought that it was used in Asia for thousands of years. We can only guess of how Ice Cream came about but we are happy it did, especially on a hot day when you’re out strolling on the board walk with a loved one or, for that matter, alone.

What we do know is that in the 1700’s Governor Bladen of Maryland served Ice Cream to the guest he entertained.

The first Ice Cream parlor that was opened in America was in New York City, in 1776. So somebody realized what a gold mine Ice cream would be. 

Image via Wikipedia

Ice Cream was served in the Whitehouse, in 1812, at the second Inaugural Ball. Needless to say it was a hit with all that attended the dinner.

Wall Street was more than stock markets at one time. It was also the place where Italo Marchiony sold homemade Ice cream from a push cart. He also got fed up with people walking off with his glass containers and soon invented the editable waffle to hold the Ice cream.

Robert M. Green operated a soda water concession in Philadelphia. He sold a mixture of carbonated water, cream and syrup. Well, Robert ran out of cream and substituted Ice Cream in its place. He was hoping the people wouldn’t notice the change. They did! Roberts’s sales went from $6.00 a day to $600.00.

In the Victorian period it was inappropiate to sell or drink soda on a Sunday but a young entrepreneur in Evanston, IN, that wanted to keep selling on Sunday served the Ice Cream with syrup but no soda. He felt guilty about this and called his knew recipe “Sundae”.

A New England housewife Nancy Johnson, invented the first hand cranked Ice Cream churn. Unfortunately she didn’t have the funds to produce this herself so sold it to a Philadelphia kitchen wholesaler for $200.00. From 1847 to 1877 more than 70 improvements were patented.

The first commercial Ice cream plant was opened in Baltimore in 1851 by Jacob Fussell.

Cookies and Cream came on the scene in 1983. It was made with real Oreo Cookies and became an instant hit not only with humans but it seems the birds thought it was heavenly to. It was the fastest growing flavor of Ice Cream in History.

Image via Wikipedia

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream was introduced in 1991when they combined the best part of the Chocolate Chip cookie, the raw dough with vanilla Ice Cream and semi sweet chocolate chips.

So this is my collection on Ice Cream and information of how it came about. It has got to be one of the most popular treats in the world with people of all ages.