Facts About The Coolest Treat In Town
What's your favorite ice cream flavor? We're partial to a good old-fashioned scoop of chocolate, and come down firmly on the side of mint being delicious rather than dental. Whatever flavor you prefer, we hope you have a bowl on hand while you learn some facts about this sweet treat.
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1. Put The Cream In Ice Cream
Official ice cream status is only given to desserts which contain at least 10% milkfat. Anything less—such as Dairy Queen's soft serve—is considered "ice milk". Because ice milk contains less fat than ice cream, it is often priced lower
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2. How Many Licks?
While we still can't tell you how many scoops it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie roll, the average ice cream scoop takes about 50 licks to finish. Of course, that isn't accounting for hot days, multiple scoops, or people who bite directly into the cone. They must have teeth of steel.
3. Favorite Flavor
Picking a favorite flavor is like picking a favorite child, but, according to surveys, the most popular flavor around the world is vanilla. Sometimes you don't mess with the classics. Oh, and, the most popular topping? Chocolate syrup.
4. Age Before Beauty
Chocolate may be the second most popular flavor overall, but it was actually invented before vanilla! The earliest recipe for chocolate ice cream dates back to 1789. Alongside it were flavors such as ginger, brown breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
5. The Vanilla House
In addition to giving us macaroni and cheese and the swivel chair, Thomas Jefferson also wrote down an early recipe for ice cream. Jefferson may not have invented vanilla ice cream, but, at a time when the spice was relatively rare and expensive, he helped popularize it. Jefferson's recipe for vanilla ice cream was 18 steps long!
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6. Famous Fiends
Jefferson wasn't the only president to be an ice cream lover. In 1790, George Washington spent $200 on ice cream in a single summer. Adjusted for inflation, that's over $5000!
7. Brain Freeze
You've probably gotten brain freeze, but do you know what causes it? When cold foods are eaten too quickly, the nerve endings in the roof of your mouth send an SOS to your brain. The result is dilating blood vessels and a temporary headache.
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8. The Science Behind Soft Serve
What's the difference between soft serve, "hard" ice cream, and ice milk? Well, apart from dairy contents, the difference comes down to how they're made. Soft serve machines incorporate extra air while freezing for a silky soft consistency.
9. An Ancient Treat
While Julius Caesar wasn't chowing down on a pint of Cherry Garcia, Ancient Romans ate a similar treat of ice flavored with wine and fruit juice. A similar recipe for "sharbat" was developed in Persia. Before central AC, these treats probably helped a lot on hot days.
10. Unusual Flavors
How adventurous are you when it comes to scoops? The world of ice cream flavors is endless, but there are some flavors that most Americans would find a little bizarre. Some highlights include garlic, Stilton cheese, and super-salty Scandinavian licorice.
11.The OGs
In addition to the tried-and-true trio of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, rocky road was one of the first widely available flavors. Rocky road was created by William Dreyer just months before the stock market crash of 1929. The name was chosen to "give folks something to smile about in the midst of the Great Depression."
12. Masculine Comfort
Never let anyone tell you that ice cream isn't a manly food. According to a 2024 study by the International Dairy Foods Association, men are more likely to eat ice cream than women. Specifically, men are more likely to bite ice cream than women. No word on what the most masculine flavor is.
13. An Elite Treat
In colonial America, ice cream was a treat enjoyed almost solely by the upper crust. This was due not only to the expense of flavors such as vanilla, but also the manual labor involved. Remember, this was before refrigeration, so ice had to be cut from lakes and ponds during the winter and specially stored for use year-round.
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14. Something To Sing About
Don't think that ice cream can be romantic? In the 1963 musical She Loves Me, protagonist Amalia Balash sings a song called "Vanilla Ice Cream" after her coworker/frenemy gives her a carton. In this context, the sweet treat is not only a peace offering but the first hint of a blossoming romance.
15. Astronaut Ice Cream
While freeze dried ice cream and ice cream sandwiches can be readily purchased as a novelty gift, they're no replacement for the real thing. According to a NASA survey, ice cream was the number one food astronauts missed from home. The other two were pizza and soda.
16. Meet Me In St. Louis
Ice Cream Cones were first invented at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Well, not entirely, but they were popularized then. There was such a demand for the sweet treat that an ice cream vendor teamed up with a nearby waffle stall after running out of paper cups.
17. Pint-Size?
The Average American eats 45.5 about 45.8 pints of ice cream a year, that's about 26 lbs! Second and third place belong to Australia and Norway. The US also produces the most ice cream of any country.
18. Industrial Ice Cream
Early ice creams were handmade using the pot-freezer method. In 1843, a patent was issued to Nancy Johnson for her ice cream churn. Not only did Johnson's churn produce a smoother, creamier ice cream, but it also led to widespread industrial ice cream production.
19. Grape Not Great?
Have you ever noticed that grape ice cream is practically non-existent? Because grapes have such a high water content, attempts come out icy rather than creamy. However, there is an urban legend that Ben Cohen—of Ben & Jerry's fame—made a batch of grape ice cream for a crush that actually ended up killing her dog!
20. Where Flavors Pass On
Speaking of Ben & Jerry's, did you know that the B&J factory in Vermont has an honest-to-god flavor graveyard? We're serious, behind their factory is a memorial to dearly de-pinted discontinued flavors. Each grave marker comes with its own tombstone, inscribed with an epitaph.
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