Who invented ice cream?
History isn't perfectly clear but it is known that the ancient Greeks served sold snow cones mixed with honey and fruit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream#History). Another source credits Marco Polo, who is said to have brought with him from the China the recipes for water ices in 1295 (World Book Encyclopedia). According to The Oxford English Dictionary, ice cream as we know it today traces its word origin as far back as 1744 with a recipe
appearing in the 1751 edition of The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse.
When was the first ice cream cone created?
Again, it's not that clear. There is a recipe in an 1888 British cookbook for "cornet with cream". In the U.S., the story is that at the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition in 1904 a Syrian pastry maker, Ernst Hamwi, came to the rescue of an ice cream vendor who had run out of dishes by making a crisp pastry cone in which to serve the ice cream. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream_cone).
What are the most popular ice cream flavours?
The International Ice Cream Association uses data provided by the NPD Group's National Eating Trends Service and based on ice cream consumption figures, the top five individual flavors in terms of share of segment in the United States are: vanilla (30%), chocolate (10%), butter pecan (4%), strawberry (3.7%) and chocolate chip mint (3.2%). (http://www.idfa.org/facts/icmonth/page2.cfm).
How do you make sure that every bit of your ice cream tastes great?
The International Ice Cream Association offers these suggestions:
1. Be sure your freezer temperature is set between -5F and 0F.
2. Store ice cream in the main part of the freezer. Never store ice cream in the freezer door, where ice cream can be subject to more fluctuating temperatures since the door is repeatedly open and shut.
3. Never allow ice cream to soften and re-freeze. As ice cream's small ice crystals melt and re-freeze, they can eventually turn into large, unpalatable lumps.
4. Keep the ice cream container lid tightly closed when storing in the freezer. It is a good idea to put a covering of heavy duty plastic wrap or aluminum foil around the mouth of the container first, then put the lid over that to ensure a tight seal.
5. Don't store ice cream alongside uncovered foods: odours can penetrate ice cream and affect its flavour.
(http://www.idfa.org/facts/icmonth/page9.cfm)
What causes an "ice cream headache"?
"When something cold touches the roof of your mouth on a hot day, it triggers a cold headache. The cause is a dilation of blood vessels in the head. The dilation may be caused by a nerve center located above the roof of your mouth - when this nerve center gets cold, it seems to over-react and tries to heat your brain. Therefore, the easy way to avoid brain freeze would be to keep cold things away from the roof of your mouth!" (http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/icheadache.html).
How long does it take to eat an ice cream cone?
It takes the average person just about 50 licks to polish off a single scoop ice cream cone. (http://www.makeicecream.com/contriv.html)
If you decide to try your hand at creating your own frozen delights, be sure to check out some of the titles that are available at the library. Here is a tasty selection to get you started:
I have to credit the original writer, Bev Fisher, for the inspiration for this column. And here are some words of wisdom from Thornton Wilder for you to ponder: "My advice to you is not to inquire why or whether, but just to enjoy your ice cream while it is on your plate - that's my philosophy." Mine too. And make it two scoops of chocolate, please!
Sylvia Renaud, Head of Reference Services
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