On hot summer days like today, nothing quenches our thirst quite like a refreshing drink, and a scoop of ice cream can also help alleviate the heat. Ice cream is a popular treat not only cherished by children but also loved by people of all ages. However, have you ever wondered where ice cream originated? Who invented the ice cream we enjoy today? What is its history of development?
>>> Interesting facts you may not know about ice cream
The First Ice Creams
During the era of the Persian Empire, people were already pouring concentrated grape juice over bowls of snow to enjoy as a refreshing treat. This food was commonly consumed on hot days. Snow from winter was stored in underground chambers known as “yakhchai” and was gradually used up as winter ended. Additionally, even in summer, people could harvest ice from the nearby Ecbatana mountains.
Yakhchai tents used by Persians to store ice
In 400 BC, Persians invented a special method of refrigeration to keep rose water and vermicelli cool for royal consumption during the summer. Ice was mixed with saffron, fruits, and various flavors to create a dish resembling ice cream.
To this day, no specific individual has been identified as the inventor of ice cream. Historical records discovered and preserved indicate that the origins of ice cream date back to around 200 BC, when ancient Chinese created a dish made from rice mixed with milk, which was then chilled by being packed in snow. This was during the Shang Dynasty under the reign of the first king, Tian Yi. He recruited over 90 “ice men” to mix a combination of flour, camphor, and buffalo milk with ice.
The Chinese are also credited with creating the first ice cream machine. They used a pot filled with syrup mixture, sealed it, and buried it in snow and salt.
A refreshing, appealing fruit ice cream.
One of the earliest foods resembling ice cream was created during the time of Alexander the Great, who was fond of snow mixed with honey. Historical records state that Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar from Rome also sent people to the mountains to collect snow, which was then mixed with fruit juices to create a mixture similar to today’s fruit ice cream. These were the first forms of ice cream known to humanity. However, at that time, ice cream was only accessible to the nobility and royalty, as not everyone could afford to send someone to collect snow from high peaks.
Ice Cream Begins to Spread to Europe
One of the earliest precursors to modern ice cream was brought by Marco Polo, who returned to Italy with a recipe from China. These recipes were similar to the fruit ice concoctions we use today. This food was immediately popular among the Italian nobility, including Duchess Catherine de Medici (1519-1589). Consequently, when she married King Henry II of France in 1533, she introduced this dessert to France.
Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) who brought ice cream from Italy to France
By the 1600s, King Charles I of England had developed a strong liking for “ice cream” and believed it should only be consumed by royalty. As a result, he rewarded his chefs to keep the ice cream recipes a closely guarded secret, not to be shared with outsiders. However, these stories from France and England were not made public until the 19th century, leading to ongoing debates about their reliability.
One of the first places to serve ice cream to the public in Europe was Café Procope in France in the late 17th century. Ice cream there was made from milk, cream, butter, and eggs. However, ice cream was still only available to the upper class and had not yet become popular among the general populace.
Ice Cream Emerges and Develops in America
The first mentions of ice cream in America appeared in 1744, when a Scottish colonist visited the home of Maryland Governor Thomas Bladen. There, he dined with the host and enjoyed blackberry ice cream for dessert. He recorded in his diary the deliciousness of the dish he tasted.
It wasn’t until 1777 that the first advertisement for ice cream appeared in the New York Gazette, where a candy seller named Phillip Lenzi, who had returned from London, claimed that his shop could provide ice cream daily for everyone. Lenzi had returned from London with a recipe for candy made from jam and jelly, as well as various other dessert recipes, with ice cream being the most prestigious. Ice cream was produced by mixing cream and sugar and then using salt and ice to cool it, making it quite affordable.
Phillip Lenzi’s ice cream advertisement published in the New York Gazette
The early American presidents were also quite fond of this treat named ice cream. President George Washington purchased approximately $200 worth of ice cream (equivalent to $3,000 today) during the summers of the 1790s to own two tin tubs of ice cream. Another American president, Thomas Jefferson, created his own vanilla ice cream recipe, while his wife contributed her own blackberry ice cream recipe.
It wasn’t until the 1800s that ice cream became a treat for special occasions, as there were still no refrigerators to keep it for extended periods. People relied on harvesting ice from lakes and storing it in straw-covered brick containers to retain the cold. At that time, ice cream was produced by placing the cream mixture in a jar, sealing it, and placing it in a bucket of ice mixed with salt.
In 1843, this method was replaced by a hand-cranked churn invented by Nancy Johnson. The ice cream mixture was placed in a container separated from the ice and salt surrounding it. A churn was then used to mix everything, resulting in a smoother ice cream compared to the previous method.
Despite these advancements, ice cream was not officially commercialized and mass-produced until Jacob Fussell built the first ice cream factory in Pennsylvania in 1851. Prior to this, Fussell was a trader who bought dairy products from farmers in Pennsylvania and sold them in Baltimore. He noticed that the demand for milk fluctuated, sometimes leading to a significant surplus of products.
Thus, he came up with the idea of producing ice cream to diversify his product offerings. Additionally, due to mass production, the cost of ice cream was significantly reduced, making it more accessible to a wider range of social classes. However, refrigerators still had not yet made their appearance.
The Advent of Refrigeration Technology – Ice Cream Begins to Spread Widely
By the 1870s, the development of ice cream made significant progress thanks to Carl von Linde, a German inventor who successfully developed the refrigeration industry. Alongside the advancement of refrigerators, the emergence of new technologies such as steam power, electric motors, and especially the widespread use of electricity contributed greatly to the efficient production, transportation, and storage of ice cream. The achievements of the industrial revolution laid the foundation for the robust development of ice cream as we know it today.
By the end of the 1800s, with the widespread popularity of ice cream, more sophisticated ice cream recipes began to emerge. The year 1874 witnessed the creation of soda ice cream. However, the name of this type of ice cream has an interesting backstory. Initially, the inventor of soda ice cream named it “Sunday.” Subsequently, religious leaders enacted a “blue law” prohibiting the use of this name due to its phonetic similarity to “Sunday,” which refers to the day of worship in Christianity, also known as the Sabbath. As a result, the term “Sundae” was chosen to refer to this ice cream mixed with syrup.
Cone Ice Cream
In 1888, Chef Marshall published her cookbook, which included a new form of ice cream: cone ice cream. However, the practice of serving ice cream in cones did not become widespread until 1904, coinciding with its introduction at the World’s Fair. From then on, the ice cream scoop placed atop a cone became a popular treat enjoyed by everyone.
By the 1930s, ice cream began to be sold widely in department stores. It soon became a comfort food believed to uplift the spirits of American soldiers during World War II. During this war period, the U.S. Armed Forces became the largest ice cream producer in America, ensuring sufficient supplies for their troops.
Today, it is estimated that over 1.6 billion gallons of ice cream and similar products are produced annually in the United States. Additionally, the average American consumes about 4 gallons of ice cream each year. Another interesting fact is that Café Procope, the first ice cream parlor in Europe, is still operational today and is recognized as the oldest restaurant in Paris. Current statistics indicate that the most popular flavors are chocolate and vanilla. In Mérida, Venezuela, an astonishing 860 unique ice cream flavors are produced, including mushroom, alcohol, pasta, cheese, and even crab ice cream.
Conclusion
Finally, we have reached the end of our journey exploring the history and development of ice cream. A small scoop of ice cream that we enjoy today carries a rich history, once considered an extravagant delicacy for the elite, a secret recipe that only royalty could craft,… Now, we invite you to step out of the time machine, and our article concludes here.
Thank you for following this article. We hope that whenever you enjoy ice cream with friends, you have a wonderful story to share about what seems like a simple treat but has a long-standing history. We look forward to seeing you again in our next installment of “One Invention a Week.” Have a great weekend!
