|
|
|
A Little History.....
There are plenty of myths about where ice cream was first invented.
Some suggest Marco Polo first brought ice cream from China. The earliest
evidence of anything resembling ice cream actually does come from China.
In the 1500s, ice cream was developed in Italy. In the 1600s France and Spain
developed forms of ice cream and in the late 1600s England had their own secret
recipes for ice cream.
It wasn't until the 1700s that the Americas first dabbled in ice cream. In
the 19th century ice cream became a popular treat with the advent of mechanical
technology and modern freezing methods. The History of Ice CreamThe Ice Cream ConeOn July 23, 1904, Charles E. Minches of St. Louis, Missouri conceived the idea of filling a pastry cone with two scoops of ice cream, thereby inventing the ice cream cone. The walk-away cone made its debut later that year at the St. Louis World's Fair.
The origins of ice cream can be traced back to the 4th century B.C. The Roman emperor Nero ordered ice to be brought from the mountains and combined with fruit toppings. In the 13th century, Marco Polo learned of the Chinese method of creating ice and milk concoctions and brought it back to Europe. Over time, recipes for ices, sherbets, and milk ices evolved and were served in the fashionable Italian and French royal courts. After the dessert was imported to the United States, it was served by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Dolley Madison. The use of ice mixed with salt to lower and control the temperature of the mix of ingredients proved a major breakthrough in the creation of ice cream as we know it. The invention of the wooden bucket freezer with rotary paddles facilitated its manufacture. A Baltimore company first produced and marketed wholesale ice cream in 1851. The treat became both distributable and profitable with the introduction of mechanical refrigeration. The ice cream shop or soda fountain has since become an icon of American culture. During the 20th century many brands of ice cream were marketed on a large scale in supermarket and branded francised palors. Many new, exotic flavors were developed during this era. In 1997 the idea of "microbatch" ice cream was developed. Borrowing from the success of microbrew beer, this ice cream is painstakingly produced in small batches and sold in limited quantities. The pioneering company in microbatch ice cream was Jeremy's Microbatch Ice Cream. The company was one of the first to sell ice cream on the Internet. Unfortunately, they have apparently met the same fate as many early online businesses and have closed shop. Now, many people enjoy making their own ice cream at home. It is really quite
easy with the aid of devices that improves upon the bucket freezer concept
mentioned above. With a low cost unit, families can enjoy fresh made ice cream
whenever they wish. More information on one brand of these 21st century ice
cream machines can be found
For further reading on the history of ice cream, we recommend Chocolate,
Strawberry, and Vanilla A History of American Ice Cream by
Anne Cooper Funderburg. A popular book on ice cream in general is The
Ultimate Ice Cream Book History of Ice Cream LinksFun for kids with songs http://www.cowtunes.com/history.html http://www.heresthescoop.com/history.html http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/ichist.html http://ne.essortment.com/historyicecrea_ori.htm
Copyright © 2000 The Ice Cream Information Network. Photos
and historical content courtesy of the U.S.Library of Congress.
Home |
here—>
Ice Cream Machine.
To see a list of
other books on ice cream history, about ice cream, and ice cream recipes, 
