Have you ever wondered who invented ice cream? Well, so have I. So I looked it up, and after some research, I came to the conclusion that not any one person did. Ice cream’s beginnings can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece when Alexander the great would enjoy snow and ice flavored with honey. Or even the Tang Dynasty were said to have frozen milk-like desserts where they would freeze goat milk, camphor (a sweet substance gathered from evergreen trees) and other various ingredients in ice pools until they were chilled enough to consume. Eventually frozen drinks like this turned into what we would call different kinds of sherbets or sorbets made mainly by the Arabs and the Italians. However, the first man credited with making the first version of what we call ice cream today would be Antonio Latini. Working for a Spanish Viceroy in Naples, he created the first milk-based sorbet.
Ice cream most likely reached the United states when the first settlers came to live here, bringing with them their knowledge, and recipes for the delicious confection, however, it was a rare and treasured treat up until the 1800’s when the first “ice houses” or the beginnings of refrigerators were invented. It was then that the ice cream industry in America boomed.
Today, ice cream is in the top 10 foods most consumed in the United States. The average American consumes about 20 quarts of ice cream every year! We turn to ice cream on many occasions, for example, birthdays, dates, comfort, hanging out with friends, or just plain enjoyment! Can you imagine our world without it?
