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Where Did Ice Cream Originally Come From?

Paper ice cream cups

A Brief History of Ice Cream

It is difficult to accurately pinpoint the inventor of ice cream. However, historians have dated the creation of this dessert to around the 2nd century BC. This dessert, throughout history, was ice usually mixed with fruits. The earliest forms of ice cream were more like modern sno cones.

The more modern ice cream was created through a historic visit to Italy. Marco Polo discovered an Italian dessert that was similar to ice cream. The 1800s brought about the beginning of ice cream becoming a popular dessert. In previous times, ice cream was often seen as something only available to the wealthy.

The mid 1900s would see the popularity of ice cream skyrocket. Malt shops and diners offered a wide variety of treats. Eventually, ice cream would become widely available in homes. Electronic freezers offered easy storage for ice cream sold in supermarkets. Currently, there are about 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream being produced every year in the United States.

Thankfully, this dessert meant for the elite is now being enjoyed in paper ice cream cups everywhere!

Popular Times of the Year to Consume Ice Cream

Recent research by the NPD Groups shows that 40% of Americans will eat ice cream within a period of two weeks. Needless to say, ice cream is an incredibly popular American dessert all year long. However, there are festivals that take place throughout the year dedicated to this dessert.

Many of these festivals offer a wide variety of ice cream flavors. Grab those paper ice cream cups as you will want to come hungry. Often local vendors have a chance to showcase that specialized products at festival booths.

Interesting Facts about this Dessert

  • On average, an adult in the United States consumes ice cream 28.5 times each year.
  • June is the most popular time for ice cream consumption.
  • Vanilla is still the most popular flavor of ice cream.
  • Bizarre Flavors of Ice Cream

    Vanilla may still hold true as the most popular ice cream flavor. However, there are companies all over the world making truly bizarre flavor variations of this dessert.

    Certain locations could offer lobster, horseradish, and squid flavored ice cream. There are currently many variations of this dessert. In most situations, it is extremely rare to find ice cream flavors that aren?t very palatable.

    In closing, ice cream is a very interesting dessert. The origins of ice cream spread throughout the entire world. However, the 1940s was mainly when this dessert took off in the United States. Eventually, everything from paper ice cream cups to waffle cones started flying off of supermarket shelves.