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Ice cream was first invented in China -

Ruling from 618-97 BCE, King Tang of Shang had 94 of his ice men (who handled his ice supply) help create a dish made of buffalo milk, flour, and camphor. This resulted in the first ice cream-like product.

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The arrival in Europe -

In the 13th century, Venetian traveler Marco Polo introduced Asian ice-cream recipes to Europe. He must have been amazed by this frozen treat from the Far East.

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An architect invented a refrigeration technique that let Italians eat ice cream at any time -

In 1565, Italian architect Bernardo Buolantalenti made it possible for noblemen to enjoy frozen drinks and ice shavings. He's also credited with inventing the precursor to modern Florentine gelato.

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Roman slaves collected snow for their version of ice cream -

The Ancient Romans sent out slaves to collect snow for their ice cream. The snow was later mixed with various fruit juices, which resulted in different flavors.

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Charles I paid his chef to keep his ice cream recipe a secret -

Charles I of England treated his ice-cream recipe as if it was a state secret. He used to pay his chef a considerable yearly sum to keep it a secret. However, the chef had already sold the recipe by 1649.

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Ice cream contains a lot of air -

About 50% of the volume found in ice cream is air. This gives the tasty dessert its light texture.

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The ice-cream cone was invented in 1904 -

The edible ice-cream container was invented at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 by a Syrian man named Ernest E. Hamwi. He created the cone at his waffle booth when his neighbor ran out of serving bowls.

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UK ice-cream trucks have a limited time to play musical tunes -

Ice-cream trucks can only play music between the hours of 12 pm to 7 pm in Britain. This rule was established to avoid disturbing people early in the morning and late at night.

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You can find exotic ice-cream flavors in Japan -

Japan is known for their adventurous food. You can find ice creams with green tea and red bean flavors, for instance. But some of their strangest flavors are octopus, cow tongue, and shrimp!

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The US produces a lot of ice cream -

The US produces an average of 1.6 billion gallons (3 billion liters) of ice cream every year. Now, that's a lot of ice cream!

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Nancy Johnson received the first American patent for a handheld ice-cream maker -

In 1843, Nancy Johnson produced a freezing machine that made use of a hand crank. It included a wooden pail and a pewter cylinder.

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Italian gelato is the most popular ice cream in the world -

While ice cream did originate in China, the type we all know today was created in Italy. Called gelato, it's widely popular around the world.

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Catherine the Great loved ice cream -

The Empress of Russia adored ice cream. So much so that she had a special ice-cream service set made from Sèvres porcelain.

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The basics of ice cream -

Ice cream is typically made from dairy products, such as milk and cream. It's then often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavors.

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Chocolate or vanilla? -

While vanilla is the most popular flavor across the world, it wasn't invented first. That trophy goes to chocolate-flavored ice cream.

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Ronald Reagan declared National Ice Cream Month in 1984 -

US President Ronald Reagan designated the month of July as National Ice Cream Month. A fan of the frozen treat, he also assigned the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. 

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The original sundae -

An American favorite, the original sundae consists of vanilla ice cream topped with a flavored sauce or chocolate syrup. It then has whipped cream and a single maraschino cherry on top.

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Nero's favorite flavor -

It's believed that in ancient Rome, Emperor Nero loved lemon sorbet enriched with squashed raspberries and rose water. It sure sounds fancy!

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The development of flavors -

While ancient ice creams were just like Emperor Nero enjoyed, it started to change during the Victorian era. During this time, people began using elaborate molds and presses, adding milk, cream, and butterfat.

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Big ice-cream spender -

Throughout the summer of 1790, US President George Washington spent roughly US$200 on ice cream. That would be over $5,000 in today's money!

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The golden spoon -

When tasting a new flavor, professional ice-cream tasters use golden spoons. This is so the metal doesn't impact the taste of the ice cream. What a dream job!

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There's a Hawaiian fruit that tastes like vanilla ice cream -

Hawaii has a fruit that tastes exactly like vanilla ice cream. It's called inga feuillei. However, locals call it the ice-cream bean.

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It was once illegal to sell ice-cream sodas on Sundays due to religious purposes -

In the US, shop owners invented the ice-cream sundae to get around this law. They replaced soda with syrup, and replaced the y on Sunday with an e.

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Victorian ice-cream vendors -

In Victorian England, ice cream from street vendors was known as a "penny lick." This is because ice cream was sold for one penny. As the container wasn't washed between costumers, the penny lick was banned in 1898 due to the spread of cholera and tuberculosis.

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The scientific reason for ice-cream headache -

Also known as a brain freeze, this phenomenon happens when something frozen touches the roof of your mouth. This makes the blood vessels tense up, causing the brain freeze.

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Neapolitan ice cream -

Created by Italian immigrants in the US, Neapolitan ice cream has three layers, each of a different flavor and color. The chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors are molded into blocks, mimicking the Italian flag.

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Ice cream was once a luxury treat -

Before the development of the modern-day refrigerator, ice cream was a luxury reserved for special occasions. Only the wealthy could afford it on a frequent basis.

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Cows produce a lot of milk for ice cream -

A dairy cow produces enough milk in its lifetime to make 7.5 thousand gallons (3,4000 liters) of ice cream.

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Thomas Jefferson brought vanilla ice cream to the US -

America has Thomas Jefferson to thank for vanilla-flavored ice cream. He brought the recipe to the US after a trip to France. The original handwritten recipe can be found at the Library of Congress. 

Sources: (Facts.net) (Kidadl) 

See also: Refreshing frozen desserts you can make at home 

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