A wildly popular and delicious treat, ice cream, is a dessert that has captured the hearts and taste buds of people around the world. A popular summer treat and enjoyed even during the cold winter season, ice cream comes in tons of flavors and local ice cream shops can be found in cities across the world. The cold treat is incredibly widespread, but where did it originate?
The origins of ice cream can be traced all the way back to 4000 B.C. when the people who lived along the Euphrates River built some of the first ice houses that were made to cool down during hot summer days. During the 5th century B.C., snow was sold on the streets of Athens, Greece. Rich emperors and rulers also enjoyed snow that was coated with honey for a sweet treat. It is believed that during the Tang Dynasty in China, they mixed ice with buffalo milk to make one of the first ice cream recipes.
Thousands of years later, when Marco Polo returned from his travels through the East, he brought back to Italy a recipe that closely resembles what is known today as sherbet. This led to the Italian wife of King Henry II, Catherine de Medici, introducing the delectable treat to the country of France and prompting its spread across Europe.
Ice cream was first introduced into the United States by British confectioner Philip Lenzi in 1774. The confectioner put an ad in the paper, emphasizing that he would make ice cream for America. It did not take long for the treat to become popular.
The average American today is estimated to consume around 20 pounds of ice cream per year, creating nearly fourteen billion dollars in revenue for the ice cream market.
There are over one thousand ice cream flavors around the world that people love. Even though winter is coming soon, ice cream is still a wonderful treat that can be enjoyed by all.
