‘From child to old, the love for ice cream increases by tenfold.’
While we all relish ice creams of various flavours, little do we know about its origin. While the story of its genesis dates back to the primitive era, evolving tastes have also influenced this “cool” dessert.
So, let's take a walk down the ice cream lane:
37 CE - Roman Emperor Nero sent servants to procure ice from mountains to create a frozen fruit dessert in Rome.
400s CE - Tang Dynasty – In China, the emperor used fermented milk, ice and spices to make a creamy dessert.
1200s - Marco Polo discovered and introduced frozen treats to Europe from China.
1649 - Charles I of England offered his chef money to safeguard an ice cream recipe, which spread after his execution.
Late 1600s - American colonists brought ice cream recipes to the New World from Europe.
1744 - During a dinner with the governor of Maryland, a notable group of colonists enjoyed a dessert that included ice cream, as described by a Scottish guest who remarked it was especially delightful when paired with strawberries and milk. This marked the first written account of ice cream in the American colonies.
1843 - Nancy M Johnson of Philadelphia introduced "Artificial Freezer", revolutionizing ice cream production.
1850 - Jacob Fussell opened the first commercial ice cream factory in Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania.
1880 - Ice cream sundae invented in America, served in soda fountains on Sundays.
1903 - Italo Marchiony patented an ice cream cone.
1928 - Dreyer's and Edy's Ice Cream launched from an ice cream truck.
1930s - American grocery stores began selling ice cream.
1940s - US armed forces were the largest ice cream manufacturers during WWII.
1953 - Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins merged stores, forming Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors.
1978 - Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream opened in Burlington, Vermont.
2008 - “iCream” in Chicago opened, offering personalized ice cream using liquid nitrogen.
2014 and beyond - Ice cream remains popular with new flavours, toppings, and frozen treats continually added.
While the authentic story of ice cream being born may not be entirely known to us but we couldn't be more thankful to the inventor for treating us to this soul cooling desert.