Take a Trip Back in Time: The History of Ice Cream

Everything has a history, and ice cream has quite an exciting one. It’s believed to have first been created in the second century, with no origin date or creator ever referenced when it comes to sharing the history of ice cream. This fact has had us wondering how the humble ice cream’s story started, and how it managed to become one of the most popular desserts.

Ice Cream in History

One of the earliest references to a frozen dessert similar to ice cream has to be Alexander the Great’s flavored snow and ice. There’s even a mention of it during the Roman Empire, where Nero Claudius Caesar often sent slaves to fetch snow from the mountains to be flavored with fruits and other juices.

Much later in the 17^th century, after traveling the far east and returning to Italy, Marco Polo shared a recipe for a frozen treat that resembled what we now know as sherbet. Many believe that this recipe formed the basis of the ice cream. Around the same time in England, Charles I enjoyed his fair share of frozen desserts.

France discovered the creamy treat in 1553 when Italian Catherine de Medici married Henry II of France. It took over 100 years before the public was able to get their hands on this frozen treat. The recipe included mixing cream, milk, butter, and eggs to create a delicious treat.

Bringing Ice Cream to America

The first official record of ice cream in America comes from 1744. Maryland Governor William Bladen wrote a letter about the experience, and in 1777 the first ice cream advert was published in the New York Gazette. It was even reported that George Washington spent around $200 on the frozen dessert in the summer of 1790.

Another former president with a love for the frozen milk dessert is Thomas Jefferson. He had a secret recipe for an ice cream-inspired dessert, very much resembling a modern-day Baked Alaska.

Even though ice cream was available before the 1800s, it remained something exotic and rare, reserved for the rich and famous. By 1851, a Baltimore milkman by the name of Jacob Fussell started manufacturing ice creams. As technology began to evolve, so did the production of ice cream. It became a go-to treat for many and even created a sense of competition within the military during World War II and in 1946 when the war ended, it was reported that the average American consumed over 20 quarts of ice cream during this time.

Fast forward to 2019, and the country was able to produce over 6.4 billion pounds of ice cream and frozen yogurt. How impressive is that?

So, What was the First Flavor Ever Made?

While many people may think vanilla was the first flavor of ice cream, it was actually orange blossom. This is according to the first ice cream advert published in 1777. However, if you want to get technical, Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar. Of course, we know that a lot has changed since then.

There are more ice cream flavors available than we could ever imagine, and more impressively, ice creams are made to adapt to dietary needs like vegan ice cream, or ice cream varieties tailored to be a healthier, more eco-friendly treat.

This is where our passion comes from. Our drive for creating delicious, healthy ice cream flavors that are organic and made using only the finest fresh produce. We’re proud to be forming part of a rich history of a delicious frozen dessert that will continue to evolve for years to come.

In the meantime, we welcome you to give our range of organic ice cream flavors a try by either visiting Nature’s Organic ice cream in Fremont or ordering online. We offer 10% off your first order and offer free delivery in the SF area for orders over $45.