Thanks to President Reagan, we celebrate National Ice Cream Day every third Sunday in July, which falls on July 21 this year. Reagon wanted to honor a treat enjoyed by over 90 percent of Americans. In 1984, he designated a day for ice cream, highlighting the importance of the dairy industry in the U.S. Americans still consume the most ice cream in the world, with an average of 23 gallons per person each year. Reagon also declared July as National Ice Cream Month, calling ice cream “a nutritious and wholesome food enjoyed by over ninety percent of the people in the United States.” Since then, this holiday has inspired ice cream lovers around the globe and is celebrated annually. Struggling to choose a flavor in the frozen food aisle? Or wondering how to celebrate this day? Here’s your inspiration.
History of National Ice Cream Day
No one knows exactly who invented ice cream, but its history is rich and fascinating. Ice cream-like food was reportedly first enjoyed in China between 618-97 AD, made from flour, buffalo milk, and camphor, an ingredient often found in lotion.
Alexander the Great is also said to have loved ice and snow flavored with nectar and honey. The Bible Mentions that King Solomon enjoyed iced drinks during the harvest season. In the Roman Empire, Caesar would send people to collect snow from the mountains to cover it with fruit and juices.
Nearly a thousand years later in Italy, Marco Polo returned from the Far Est with a recipe for sherbet. This recipe is believed to have evolved into what we now call ice cream, which was originally known as “Cream Ice.”
In 1660, ice cream was introduced to the general public by an Italian man named Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli. He perfected a machine created by his fisherman grandfather to produce high-quality gelato in his cafe. His recipe, which combined milk, butter, eggs, and cream, was sold in Paris.
The first mention of ice cream in the United States comes from a letter written in Maryland in 1744 by a guest of Governor William Bladen, Later, on May 12, 1777, the New York Gazette published the first ice cream advertisement in the U.S. After the American Revolution, ice cream’s popularity soared across the country.
Since then, ice cream has become a major dessert, thanks to the invention of home machines, the rise of ice cream vans, ice cream floats, sundaes, and popular brands like Ben and Jerry’s and Haagen-Dazs.
Ice cream’s impact on society is so profound that the brain of an ice cream lover has been compared to that of an addict. When someone craves ice cream, their brain reacts with intense enthusiasm.
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| 400 B.C. (Royal Ice) | Persians invented an ice cream recipe for their royal families made from saffron, iced rose water, vermicelli, and fruit. |
| 1744 (Getting Served) | Colonists from Scotland bring an ice cream recipe to North America. |
| 1939 (Soft for Ice Cream) | American mass production of ice cream is accomplished to boost morale of allied troops in Europe, popularizing the loveable dish all over the world. |
| 1970s (Anything is Popsicle) | The production of pre-packaged ice cream is flourishing in supermarkets and ice cream parlors. |
5 Interesting Facts About Ice Cream
- It is said that nine percent of all the milk produced in the U.S. is used to make ice cream.
- In the United States, vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor, accounting for 29% of total sales.
- Among all cities, Long Beach, California, consumes the most ice cream.
- Because of its rich taste, ice cream was offered as a welcoming treat to immigrants arriving at Ellis Island.
- Thomas Jefferson was a huge fan of ice cream, and the Library of Congress has preserved his original handwritten recipe for vanilla ice cream.
Frequently Ask Question
Who invented National Ice Cream Day?
National Ice Cream Day was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. He designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day.
Who eats the most ice cream in the world?
New Zealand is the top ice cream consumer in the world, with an average of 23 liters per person each year.
What’s the weirdest ice cream out there?
One of the weirdest ice creams is squid ice cream from Japan. You can also find flavors like octopus and ox tongue there.
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