20 Fun Facts About Ice Cream That You Didn’t Know

Here are 20 fun facts about ice cream that you might not know:

1. Ancient Origins: Ice cream’s origins date back to ancient China, around 200 BCE, where a dessert made from rice and milk was frozen in snow.
2. Marco Polo’s Influence: Marco Polo is often credited with bringing a version of ice cream from China to Europe in the 13th century, though this is debated among historians.
3. First Ice Cream Parlor: The first known ice cream parlor in the U.S. opened in New York City in 1790.
4. President’s Favorite: Thomas Jefferson was a huge fan of ice cream. He is said to have a handwritten recipe for vanilla ice cream, which is now kept in the Library of Congress.
5. Ice Cream Cone Invention: The ice cream cone was allegedly invented at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair when a waffle vendor ran out of dishes and decided to roll his waffles into cones to hold the ice cream.
6. Gelato vs. Ice Cream: Gelato, which originated in Italy, contains less fat and air than traditional ice cream, giving it a denser and more intense flavor.
7. Most Popular Flavor: Vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor worldwide, followed closely by chocolate.
8. Sundae’s Origin: The ice cream sundae was created in the late 19th century to circumvent a law that prohibited selling soda on Sundays. Ice cream shops began serving the syrupy dessert without soda, calling it a “Sunday,” which eventually became “sundae.”
9. Largest Ice Cream Sundae: The largest ice cream sundae ever made weighed over 54,000 pounds and was created in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 1988.
10. National Ice Cream Month: July is officially National Ice Cream Month in the United States, thanks to a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.
11. First Ice Cream Machine: Nancy Johnson, an American woman, invented the first hand-cranked ice cream maker in 1843. Her invention revolutionized the ice cream-making process.
12. Eskimo Pie: The Eskimo Pie, the first chocolate-covered ice cream bar, was invented in 1920 by a schoolteacher named Christian Nelson.
13. Turkey’s Unique Ice Cream: In Turkey, “dondurma” is a type of ice cream made with salep (a flour made from orchid tubers) and mastic, giving it a stretchy, chewy texture.
14. World’s Most Expensive Ice Cream: The world’s most expensive ice cream sundae is the “Frrrozen Haute Chocolate,” served at Serendipity 3 in New York City. It costs $25,000 and is made with edible gold.
15. Brain Freeze: The scientific term for brain freeze is “sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia,” which happens when something cold touches the roof of your mouth, causing your blood vessels to constrict and then rapidly expand.
16. Ice Cream in Space: Astronauts enjoy freeze-dried ice cream, a popular treat on space missions since the Apollo program.
17. Japan’s Unique Flavors: Japan is known for its unique and sometimes strange ice cream flavors, including octopus, wasabi, and soy sauce.
18. World Record for Eating Ice Cream: The world record for the most ice cream eaten in one sitting is 16.5 pints, set by Joey Chestnut in 2017.
19. Ice Cream Truck Jingles: The jingle commonly played by ice cream trucks, “Turkey in the Straw,” is a tune that dates back to the 19th century.
20. Ice Cream Sandwiches: The ice cream sandwich was invented in 1899 in New York City. It originally sold for just one penny.