Essential Question: To what extent is Ice Cream a “World” delight?
A Short History of Ice Cream
Dating back to 400 BC, the Persians began the world’s obsession with Ice Cream.
This civilization of culinary geniuses began experimenting with icy treats by
pouring grape-juice over snow in a bowl. It was served as a cool treat during the
Middle Eastern summers which are especially hot. Snow would either be collected
and stored in underground chambers called “YAKHCHALS” or taken from snowfall
that remained at the top of mountains during the summer. The Persians continued
investigating ice cream possibilities when they invented a special chilled food
made of rose water and vermicelli. This early icy treat was mixed with saffron,
fruits, and other flavors, and then served to royalty during summers.
Arabs were perhaps the first group of people to use milk as a major ingredient in
the production of ice cream. They sweetened the milk with sugar rather than fruit
juices as the Persians had and even created a process for producing large
quantities of the treat commercially! By the 10th century, ice cream was being
consumed in many major Arab cities like Baghdad, Damascus, and Cairo. The
Middle East was not the only region enjoying ice cream in earlier times. The
Chinese for example, may have been responsible for inventing the first ice cream
maker by pouring a mixture of snow and saltpeter over the exteriors of containers
filled with syrup. The salt ingredient lowered the snow’s temperature to around 0
degrees thus freezing the syrup inside creating a sorbet close to modern ice cream.
It has also been asserted that Kublai Khan in the 13th century enjoyed this frozen
dessert and kept it a royal secret until Marco Polo visited China and took the
technique for making ice cream back to Italy.
Ice Cream legends continued to grow in Europe after Marco Polo reportedly
introduced the frozen delight. When Catherine d’ Medici married the Duke of
Orleans of France in 1533, she reportedly brought Italian chefs to France who had
recipes for flavored ices and sorbets. Charles I of England also marveled at his
chef’s ice creations a century later supposedly offering the chef a lifetime pension
to keep the formula a secret so only to royals could enjoy it. Recipes then
abounded throughout Europe as rival recipes were introduced in French, English,
and Italian cookbooks.
Ice Cream spread to the Americas in the early 1700s with the settlement of Quaker
colonists who brought their recipes with them. New York City became a prime
place for ice cream as it was served in shops throughout the Big Apple. Founding
fathers like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin were regular
connoisseurs and servers of ice cream in their homes. Dolly Madison, the wife of
James Madison, is especially linked to the history of ice cream as she served the
treat at her husband’s inaugural ball in 1813!
America continued advancing their love with ice cream when Nancy Johnson, a
Philadelphian woman, was given a patent for the first hand-cranked ice cream
maker. The sundae also was truly American as cities like Buffalo, Ithaca NY, and
Evanston IN, used this offshoot of ice cream as a way to get around “Blue Laws”
which forbade drinking soda on Sunday which had been added to ice cream in the
late 1800s, therefore, the Sundae on Sunday was born!
Ice Cream continued to gain popularity in the 1920s when alcohol was prohibited.
Ice cream parlors replaced bars and saloons on Main Street. Then, as refrigeration
became common, so did more flavors and types of ice cream. Vendors competed
on the basis of variety with Baskin-Robbins winning the battle with its 31 flavors--One for every day of the month! The company now boasts to having created over
1000 different varieties! Newer companies like Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen-Dazs
have also expanded the love of ice cream with premium and super-premium
versions of the old treat.
Test Your Note Taking Skills!
1. What group is credited with ice cream experimentation through pouring
grape juice over ice?
2. What “blue law” pushed American experimentation with ice cream?
3. Which group of early Americans is credited with bringing their ice cream
recipes to the American colonies?
4. What famous woman brought Italian chefs to France who were known for
their icy treats and sorbets?
5. Name TWO Arab cities where ice cream flourished by the 10th century.
6. Why is Dolley Madison linked to ice cream?
7. Where did the Persians store snow for making ice cream?
8. Which famous European supposedly took ice cream from Asia?
(See other side for answers!)
ANSWERS
1. What group is credited with ice cream experimentation through pouring
grape juice over ice? *The Persians
2. What “blue law” pushed American experimentation with ice cream? *No
drinking Soda on Sundays
3. Which group of early Americans is credited with bringing their ice cream
recipes to the American colonies? *Quakers
4. What famous woman brought Italian chefs to France who were known for
their icy treats and sorbets? *Catherine d’Medici
5. Name TWO Arab cities where ice cream flourished by the 10th century.
*Damascus, Baghdad, &/or Cairo
6. Why is Dolley Madison linked to ice cream? *served it at her husband’s
inaugural ball
7. Where did the Persians store snow for making ice cream? *underground
chambers (Yakhchals)
8. Which famous European supposedly took ice cream from Asia? *Marco Polo