Perhaps no food is as universally beloved as ice cream. Though people may dispute which ethnic cuisine reigns supreme or which region produces the most delicious barbecue or which city makes the best pizza, ice cream inspires no such debate. It’s simply loved by people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Ice cream is a go-to dessert for people across the globe, and those individuals may be interested in learning more about this beloved confection.
• The International Dairy Foods Association notes that the origins of ice cream can be traced at least as far back as the second century BC. Though the precise origins of ice cream are not known, the first ice cream parlor in the United States opened in 1790. PBS notes that President George Washington was especially fond of the frozen treat.
• Many people prefer their ice cream served in cones, and they can thank any one of a number of individuals who may be responsible for the invention of the ice cream cone. According to the Library of Congress, various accounts suggest Charles E. Menches is the inventor of the ice cream cone, which he first offered for sale at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Ernest Hamwi, Abe Doumar, Albert and Nick Kabbaz, Arnold Fornachou, and David Avayou are some others who have been credited with inventing the ice cream cone.
• The Dairy Alliance reports that three gallons of milk are required to produce a single gallon of ice cream. That means one cow can produce between two and three gallons of ice cream per day.
• Ice cream afficionados span the globe, but the World Atlas reports that no country consumes more ice cream per capita than New Zealand. New Zealand is reportedly renowned for producing high-quality dairy products, which might be one reason why the average New Zealander consumes 28.4 liters of ice cream per year. The United States (20.8 liters per year per person) and Australia (18 liters) are next in line behind New Zealand.
• Chocolate reigns supreme as the most popular ice cream flavor in the world. So says an analysis of data from Lexham Insurance conducted by The Food Channel®. That data represents figures from 121 countries and found that vanilla, mint chocolate chip, cookie dough, and buttered pecan round out the top five ice cream flavors across the globe.
• According to Ben & Jerry’s, the new ice cream texture that develops after a pint melts and then re-freezes is the result of microscopic air bubbles that keep ice cream soft and fluffy. That air escapes when ice cream melts, and since it’s gone when the ice cream refreezes, the result is a product that’s no longer as soft as it was intended to be.
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