Tag: History Of Ice Cream

Origins And History Of Ice Cream

If one is curious about the facts concerning the origin of ice cream, the curiosity will have to continue to stand, for no one is one hundred percent certain of its exact origin. The absence of facts leads to theories, and the most prominent ones are quite interesting. The most interesting aspect of the theories of ice cream’s origin, however, are the inconsistencies. Perhaps it was invented by the Roman emperor Nero, perhaps it was discovered by Marco Polo, or perhaps the early Chinese deserve the credit. Facts also give way to unproven theories in terms of its time of invention. It has been theoretically calculated that ice cream had its beginnings around 618-97 A.D., the second century B.C., and the fourth century B.C. The only clear fact about the origin of ice cream is that no one knows the facts.

The history of ice cream throughout the ages is a different story. Ice cream has been enjoyed in most parts of the world; and each part of the world has brought its own special variations to the subject of ice cream. Thomas Jefferson can be credited with introducing ice cream to America. Long being a much-loved dish in England, ice cream’s first place in America was limited to the wealthy, but soon gained a place with the general population as ice cream parlors were established. No longer limited to the upper-class, ice cream soon became a part of life for the American public in general.

The very first commercial ice cream company in the United States began in Baltimore in in 1851. Established by Jacob Fussell, this ice cream plant was a decisive step toward making ice cream accessible to the American public. The invention of the hand-cranked freezer in 1846 marked the beginning of production of the type of ice cream which has continued in its popularity to the present day.

Other well-known ice cream variations also have interesting roots. The ice cream cone, similar to the style we are familiar with today, was first produced at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. And the original Eskimo Pie was designed in Iowa in 1920. The history of ice cream in the United States makes clear the point that regardless of its changes and variations throughout the years, the American public’s love for ice cream is one factor which has never changed.

In other parts of the world, ice cream has a number of variations. Some countries’ ice creams bear little resemblance to what we know as ice cream, but are equally enjoyed by their citizens. In some countries the emphasis is less on the dairy products which we generally associate with ice cream, and, instead, on fruits and the frozen nature of the dessert, placing the dish more in the range of sorbets, sherbets, and even snow cones. In India, the origin of ice cream products goes back to the fruit sorbets of the sixteenth century. More closely related to the American version of ice cream is Kulfi, which is frozen milk and sugar with added flavorings such as orange, peanut and apple.

Although ice cream production in the United States began as a delicacy inaccessible to the general population, it soon gained widespread appeal. Ice cream’s availability to the public which began in New York and Philadelphia’s ice cream parlors has, over the course of time, resulted in the approximately five hundred commercial ice cream companies currently in business.

With seven ice cream plants in the United States, Dreyer’s, which is based in City of Commerce, California, is currently the largest selling ice cream manufacturer in America. Ever expanding their line of flavors, Dreyer’s also produces sherbets and fruit bars. The production– and consumption– of ice cream has come a long way since Thomas Jefferson first introduced it to the United States.

History of Ice Cream

Ice cream has evolved throughout a history that goes back over 2000 years to around 200 B.C. Folk lore has it that in the 1st Century, Nero, the fifth and last Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (A.D. 37 – 68), ordered his slaves to go up in the mountains and bring back ice which was used to make an iced mixture with fruit.

Another form of ice cream was made by King Tang of China (A. D. 618-97). He combined ice and milk. From China ice cream was brought to Europe when, in the 1200’s Marco Polo had brought an ice cream sorbet recipe back with him to Europe from the Far East. The recipe called for the ingredients snow and milk.

Ice cream was later imported from Europe to the United States where it was served by Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to their guests. Historians say that George Washington really loved his ice cream and ate lots of it.

In New York City, in 1776, the first ice cream parlor was opened. The word ice cream was started by the American Colonists. They first called it “iced” cream and it was later shortened to “ice” cream.

When First Lady Dolly Madison was in the white house from 1809 to 1817, she served ice cream to guests.

The hand crank ice cream maker or freezer was invented in 1846 by Nancy Johnson. Today, ice cream is still made using the basic method of the hand-crank ice cream freezer. In 1848 a similar ice cream freezer, the Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer was patented. By 1850 ice cream had become a popular treat. It wasn’t until 1851 that Jacob Fussell’s Baltimore Company began to manufacture and market ice cream commercially.

At some point in time someone figured out that using salt mixed with the ice would lower the temperature of the ingredients and that the wooden freezer bucket and paddles would open the way for the larger-scale manufacture of ice cream.

It was a long time before an ice cream mold and scooper was patented. The ice cream scoop was patented by Alfred Cralle in 1897.

The ice cream cone was invented in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 when on July 23 Charles E. Minches thought of making a pastry cone and filled it with two ice cream scoops. The ice cream cone first appeared at the St. Louis World’s Fair later in the year where, historians believe, there were more than 50 ice cream cone vendors. Historians also believe that the ice cream cone had actually been invented by many people, all at around the same time.

In 1926 Clarence Vogt came up with a process of continuously freezing ice cream for the commercial manufacturing of ice cream. By the 1930’s ice cream had a huge increase in popularity and many flavors of ice cream and sherbets had become available. By the 20th Century many flavors of ice cream were being sold on a large scale in grocery stores, supermarkets and ice-cream franchises.

Ice cream has been around for over 2000 years and isn’t likely to go away very soon. With such longevity, perhaps it will be around for another 2000 years.