Celebrate July With National Ice Cream Month
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Every July, ice cream lovers across the US come together to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. This sweet tradition began in 1984, when President Ronald Reagan officially designated July as National Ice Cream Month. He also declared the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day.
To help you celebrate, here are some sweet facts about this beloved frozen treat.
The origin
The emperors of China's Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) are believed to be the first to enjoy a frozen dessert made with milk, flour, and camphor. However, the modern recipe using milk and sugar as key ingredients was developed by the Arabs in the 9th century.
Europeans discovered ice cream in the 16th century, but the first recorded mention of it in the US was not until 1744. That year, Maryland Governor Thomas Bladen reportedly served strawberry ice cream to guests at a dinner party. The treat did not become widely available in the country until the first commercial ice cream factory was established in 1851.
However, Americans have made up for the lost time. They are now the world’s largest consumers of ice cream, averaging about 23 pounds (10.4 kg) per person each year. California produces the most ice cream overall. But the biggest fans per capita live in Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC.
Popular flavors
There are over 1,000 recorded ice cream flavors worldwide. However, vanilla remains the top choice. Other favorites include chocolate, strawberry, mint chocolate chip, and cookies & cream. Interestingly, the trend of adding unique ingredients to ice cream is not a new phenomenon. A 1790 cookbook had recipes for Parmesan, ginger, and even brown bread-flavored ice cream!
A favorite for world records
Ice cream has inspired some incredible and quirky world records! In 2011, two Italian chefs created the world's tallest ice cream cone. Measuring 9 ft 2.63 in (2.81 m), it was made of wafer and coated in 1,543 pounds (700 kg) of white chocolate. It took them 30 hours to make enough gelato to fill the massive cone.
In 2023, an ice cream parlor in Japan created the world's most expensive ice cream. Made with rare ingredients like edible gold and saffron, a single serving cost $6,696!
Happy National Ice Cream Month!
Resources: Wikipedia.org, benjerry.com, starpacnet.com, monticello.org, preservationmaryland.org
