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Serena Nigro

Professor Martin

Composition II

8 April 2022

The History of Ice Cream

Ice cream is a popular dessert, well loved across the globe. The sugary, creamy, frozen

treat has been known to be enjoyed by all in any situation: a quick summer cooldown, a way to

mend a broken heart, and a reward for a child’s positive behavior. As defined in 1998, “ice

cream is a frozen dairy food made from cream or butterfat, milk, sugar and flavorings”

(Encyclopedia Britannica). The many improvements from flavored snow to its current creamy

mixture has led to the wonderful dessert enjoyed nationwide today. Additionally, aspects such as

setting an industry standard for its core recipe and creating nondairy options have enabled the

treat stay around for as long as it has. Ice cream’s history is incredibly intriguing and invites you

to have a deeper respect for the nation’s treasured frozen dessert.

The history of this frozen delicacy is surpassed only by the richness of the treat itself.

With the first report of ice cream coming from the second century, ice cream has been around for

what seems like forever, since the exact beginning of the treat is not well-known. There are many

origin stories circulating about ice cream; so many, in fact, that presenting an accurate history

comes with a set of challenges, distinguishing between folklore and fact not being the least.

While "ice cream is reputed to have been made in China as long ago as 3000 BC” (Ayto 167),

the first written account is found in the Shjh Ching in 1100 BC. The poem states, “in the days of
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the second month, they hew out the ice. . . in the third month they convey it to the ice houses

which they open in those of the fourth, early in the morning, having offered in sacrifice a lamb

with scallions” (What’s Cooking America). The beginning state of ice cream was completely

dairy free, instead flavored ice. It is remarkable to think that the dessert has evolved to its current

state from just some frozen water. It has been noted that “throughout the time of Alexander the

Great, he enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar…as well as King Solomon being

fond of iced drinks during harvesting” (IDFA). Later in 907 AD, the Tang dynasty was “believed

to be the first to eat a frozen milk-like confection. This version was made with cow, goat or

buffalo milk that was heated with flour” (Avery). It also has been said that Caesar made runners

go to the mountains in winter for snow before having it flavored with juices. These beginning

forms of ice cream have played an integral part in how ice cream is thought of today. The name

of the dessert itself is reminiscent of its roots, as the “ice” part goes back to its original form. As

years went on, the frozen delicacy spread and developed further. To develop to its current form,

more steps had to be taken. This is where accounts differ. Some researchers say Marco Polo is

responsible for its development in the 16th century while others credit Catherine de Medici as she

brought it back to France in the 12 th century. The support for the famous explorer Marco Polo

comes from a claim that he is responsible for the integral leap from ice to its next state of

sherbet. Marco Polo explored the Far East in order to keep up his father’s legacy of positive

foreign relations. During his return and after a thousand years of no ice cream development, Polo

learned of a new recipe around the 16th century. This recipe was for what we now call sherbet, a

frozen dessert containing fruit juice plus a little bit of cream or eggs. The recipe was then

brought back to Italy where it was developed over the years into a stable of Italian culture

(IDFA). The other idea is that Catherine de Medici’s wedding to King Henry the II is what
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brought ice cream to France. It is said that she had her personal chefs come along with her and

they spent time creating frozen creams and fruit mixtures. These beginning forms of ice cream

and sherbet were served to guests during the month-long wedding festivities. The purpose of

bringing ice cream to France was to please her father-in-law since she was parentless herself

(What’s Cooking America). While it is not certain which, if any, of these accounts are true, all

of the researchers take this as a glimpse into the history of ice cream. As the years went on, ice

cream developed in Europe. In the 17th century, frozen desserts grew in popularity in Naples with

people looking for a cooler beverage to drink. In this case, they would take drinks, add sugar,

and freeze them, creating what we now know as sorbetto. Antonio Latini was credited with this

delicacy since he was the first to record the sorbetto recipe. Later on, he added milk to the recipe,

creating what is now recognized as the first “real” ice cream. Years later, the frozen dessert was

served in restaurants in Paris, which dined Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon, among other

famous figures. This was the first case of gelato, effectively the Italian version of sorbet, and a

was a massive success (PBS). It was here where ice cream crossed over to the New World and

began its journey to the modern-day American treat.

Once ice cream developed overseas, it did not take long before the infectious dessert

came to America in the 18 th century. It is believed that a European explorer might have

introduced it during a voyage but there is no account of such. Researchers know for sure that the

first official account occurred in a letter in 1744, as written by a guest of the Maryland governor.

Years later, there was an advertisement in the New York Gazette. This advertisement was

produced on May 12, 1777, by Phillip Lenzi marking the start of modern-day ice cream, and

leading to the first ice cream parlor in 1790 (IDFA). As the ice cream craze spread, the hot New

York days were made bearable by the easily attainable frozen delicacy. As the dessert became
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more and more popular, demand was hard to keep up with. It was during this time that the

obsession caused George Washington to spend $200 to get some ice cream, after trying it for the

first time eight years prior in Philadelphia. This obscene amount of money translates to $7102.55

in current day prices due to inflation (What’s Cooking America). His love of ice cream was later

revealed to be even more extreme, as the former president had multiple ice cream pots to make

the dessert at home. Washington was not the only former president to indulge in the sweet treat.

Records state that “President Jefferson was said to have a favorite 18-step recipe…which

resembled modern-day Baked Alaska” (IDFA). Jefferson loved ice cream so much that he had

several ice houses for convenient ice cream creation. By the time of the second inauguration in

1813, a strawberry version was served to guests to celebrate Madison’s victory. Ice cream was

on an unstoppable journey to the top now. Once everyone tried the dessert, they could not get

enough of it. The only issues were keeping ice cream frozen and being able to create the dessert

quickly. A refrigeration process was needed to continue production effectively. In 1878, the

refrigerator was first created. Later in the 1900s, circular brine freezers were developed to

control temperatures, allowing the dessert to set without getting freezer burn. A handful of years

later, the first official ice cream freezer was created, even before at-home refrigerators. This

allowed for ice cream to be enjoyed from the comfort of the consumer’s home (R. W. Hartel).

Ice cream was on a nonstop trip to the top of the dessert pyramid. It was then when ice cream

became widely manufactured, headed by Jacob Fussell in 1851. The delicious treat was featured

in ice cream soda floats found in local lunch shops, on the streets sold by various vendors, and

even in the freezer of most everyone’s homes. Ice cream became so outrageously popular that it

served as a symbol in both World Wars. It has been famously quoted that when a German officer

was asked about the United States during World War I, he responded, “we do not fear that nation
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of ice cream eaters” (What’s Cooking America). Dairy Queen was invented a few years later,

starting the soft serve trend, and before you knew it the ice cream business was booming. In

World War II, the branches of military would compete to outdo each other in how much ice

cream they served each other because it boosted morale. As the war drew to a close and dairy

rations were lifted, Americans celebrated with their “typical American food.” 1946 featured the

average American consuming over 20 quarts of ice cream (IDFA). Ice cream’s development in

America was rapid and vast. This type of progression in a dessert that started from fresh snow

was admirable. Investors took into account how this new dessert was improving with the times,

and multiple decades of presidential support, and figured how out to get this dessert into the

multi-billion-dollar business it is now.

As ice cream spread across the United States, becoming a national symbol of America,

the recipes improved. Aside from the obvious and previously documented developments from

snow to flavored ice to ice cream, there was a basic recipe developed in America. Former

president Thomas Jefferson brought back this recipe from his time living in France. Jefferson’s

recipe called for “two bottles of good cream, fifteen yolks of eggs, and ½ a unit of sugar”

(Library of Congress). Currently, a homemade recipe is not far off of this and still uses the three

key ingredients of cream, eggs, and sugar. This recipe was at the base of the ice cream boom in

America. The concoction was mixed over the stove before cooling down on a block of ice. The

ice was replaced every couple of hours. At this time, the ice cream mixture would be stirred to

prevent it from freezing to a cream block. This stirring was the first form of churning before

machinery. Jefferson even noted in his original recipe that one should touch the mixture to

ensure it is set and has formed ice cream. At the time, recipes called for bricks of ice cream,

showing how far it has come from the early 1900s. Later on, recipes called for the creamy
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mixture to be placed in a brine freezer to freeze prior to storage in metal cans. A brine freezer

involves salt and ice. The salt allows ice formation to be slowed, allowing the dessert to be

creamier. Later the circular brine freezer did a small part of modern-day churning. The

circulation of the mixture allowed the mixture to set more quickly and evenly (Ayto). Later on,

ice cream found new ways to be featured, such as in baked treats a-la mode and Baked Alaska.

The term a-la mode means topped with ice cream and was very popular in European culture

before coming to America. Baked Alaska was another common dessert of the time. Thomas

Jefferson’s recipe is said to closely resemble this frozen treat. The recipe is described as “a

solidly frozen brick of ice cream which has been wrapped in a thick meringue of powdered sugar

and egg whites whipped thoroughly and then placed in a very hot oven until the meringue

browns” (Soda Fountain Magazine). As the years progressed, flavoring was added to the mixture

to appeal to more. In 1948, a list of 28 flavors were published in Life magazine. Topping the

charts were vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, strawberry, and coffee. Using ice cream as a

carrier for such fantastic flavors expedited the rise of ice cream’s popularity. People loved to try

new flavors in such a refreshing way.

With the new flavors coming up, advancements in the ice cream recipe were made. These

advancements included figuring out how to mass produce the dessert for grocery stores and big

ice cream shops. In order to mass produce the dessert, additives were included to help make the

dessert last for months on store shelves. The production industry figured out impressive ways to

get consumers their ice cream. One of these discoveries was low-temperature extrusions. This

allowed ice cream to be churned at the low temperature required while allowing small ice

crystals and air pockets to form (Hartel). By allowing the crystallization, the mixture could be

creamier, and prevented against freezer burn. Additionally, the development of ice cream fillers
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made sure that the dessert could fill personal size containers without losing product or letting it

melt. In a scientific aspect, mass-produced ice cream has developed as well. Additions such as

stabilizers, emulsifiers, corn syrup and whey protein have brought us to where we are today.

Stabilizers allow for the longer shelf life and protect against coarse ice cream. Emulsifiers

manage the fat contact, which improves the bite and texture, and protects against temperature

changes for limited times (Young and Sipple). Corn syrup and whey protein are also beneficial in

protecting against large ice crystals and massive air bubbles. These production improvements

allowed for ice cream to be commercialized like it is. Today, the average American consumes 23

gallons of ice cream annually, which is 360% increase from the World War II days (The

American Presidency Project). Figuring out how to best produce this dessert made it more

readily available to the average consumer, and less of a luxury few had access to.

Advancements in the ice cream world did not stop with production. The industry also had

to figure out the best base recipe, as well as how to appeal to the “healthy” individuals by

making nondairy or sugar-free options. The current recipe is a standard vanilla ice cream which

is as follows:

2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, ¼ cup sugar, a pinch of salt, 6 egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, 1

teaspoon vanilla or flavorings of your choosing. Combine heavy cream, milk, salt, ¼ cup

sugar in a small pot over simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add

vanilla or flavorings of your choice. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks with remaining ¼

cup of sugar until pale. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup of warm mixture, then another ¼ cup until

eggs are brought up to heat. Whisk egg mixture into cream mixture. Cook mixture over

medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a
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wooden spoon. Stain mixture. Transfer mixture into ice cream maker and churn

according to manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze and enjoy (Serena Nigro).

This recipe is used as the standard for most types of ice cream, with the only changes being made

to how much sugar included, or which flavor added. When I make the dessert, I like to play

around with bases or texture. With nondairy bases, my favorite is oat milk or goat’s milk. Since

there is no heavy cream with these milks, you have to create your own. Oat milk heavy cream

requires 2/3 cup of oat milk to 1/3 cup melted butter. The additional fat makes the nondairy ice

cream less icy. Another way to combat the iciness is with a tablespoon of vodka which is cooked

out. With goat’s milk, I find the best way to make the already creamy alternative even creamier

is by using powdered goat’s milk. I use two parts powder to one part water and let it sit until

milky. Goat’s milk and oat milk are wonderful alternatives and advancements because they allow

people like me who cannot consume cow’s milk to have a tasty and enjoyable experience. To

adjust the texture of ice cream, I often include mix-ins. Some of my favorite flavors that I have

made myself are peppermint with crushed candy cane and a fudge ripple, vanilla sweet cream

with salt and sugar pockets, spiced chai with shortbread crumbles, apple pie with toasted

streusel, and strawberry goat’s milk with a tart strawberry concentrate swirl. In ice cream shops,

you can add nuts, fruit, drizzles, or other various toppings to enhance it. Some places even

specialize in adding made-to-order mix-ins right in front of you without the churn time.

Ice cream has come a long way since its invention, expanding from flavored frozen snow

a continent away to a dairy-filled, creamy dessert right at our fingertips. The creation of

refrigeration aided immensely to its story, allowing the dessert to develop drastically in a matter

of a few years. Now, we can all enjoy the sweet treat while understanding how far it has come

and can thank pioneers such as Thomas Jefferson or the Tang Dynasty for their continued love of
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ice cream. Ice cream has developed into a national symbol of the United States, so much so that

the month of July and specifically July 18 are National Ice Cream Month and Day, respectfully.

By figuring out how to make ice cream suitable for anyone regardless of their dietary restriction,

the dessert is able to continue its lifelong legacy as everyone’s favorite and now a fundamental

aspect of summer celebrations.

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Works Cited:

“American Treasures of the Library of Congress Imagination Gallery B.” Library of Congress, 1
Aug. 2007, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tr33b.html#obj36.

Avey, Tori. “Explore the Delicious History of Ice Cream.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 10

July 2012, https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/explore-the-delicious-history-of-

ice-cream/.

Ayto, John, “An A to Z of Food and Drink,” Oxford University Press, Oxford 2002

Bureau, US Census. “National Ice Cream Month and Day: July and July 18, 2021.” Census.gov,
8 Oct. 2021, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/ice-cream-day-month.html.

IDFA. “The History of Ice Cream.” IDFA, 12 July 2021, https://www.idfa.org/the-history-of-ice-

cream.

Olver, Lynne. “Ice Cream & Ice.” The Food Timeline: History Notes--Ice Cream,

https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodicecream.html.

R. W. Hartel, S. A. Rankin, and R. L. Bradley Jr., Author links open overlay, et al. “A 100-Year

Review: Milestones in the Development of Frozen Desserts.” Journal of Dairy Science,

Elsevier, 16 Nov. 2017, https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0022030217310512?

token=225F308D9617FD95FA5DFBC9A1C681C72F7915072B87A3285EC0E35912427

BD8D98AD20120D4DC085C363D182DF76DE7&originRegion=us-east-

1&originCreation=20220202171328.
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Soda Fountain Publications, “The Dispenser’s Formulary,” Soda Fountain, 1925

Stradley, Linda. “Ice Cream History, Whats Cooking America.” What's Cooking America, 5 Jan.

2017, https://whatscookingamerica.net/history/icecream/icecreamhistory.htm.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Ice Cream.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/ice-cream

Young, Steve, and Bill Sipple. “Using Stabilizers and Emulsifiers in Ice Cream.” Dairy Foods
RSS, Dairy Foods, 21 Aug. 2020, https://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/94522-using-
stabilizers-and-emulsifiers-in-ice-cream.