Reference Question of the Month

Posted by Judy T.

For many of us, one of the real pleasures of summer is indulging in ice cream.  Thanks to President Ronald Reagan there is an official celebration for this scrumptious treat.  In 1984 President Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month.  According to the International Dairy Foods Association ice cream’s origins date back to the second century B.C.  Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar.  Over a thousand years later, Marco Polo returned to Italy from the Far East with a recipe that closely resembled what is now called sherbet.  The first “official” reference to ice cream in the United States occurred in 1744 in a letter written by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen.  The first advertisement for ice cream in this country appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, when confectioner Philip Lenzi announced that ice cream was available "almost every day."

More than 90% of America’s households consume ice cream (and related frozen desserts).  How much do you know about this fun food?

1.  What is America’s favorite flavor of ice cream?

2.  What is the average number of licks required to finish one scoop of ice cream?

3.  When was the first ice cream cone produced?

4.  What important ingredient in ice cream prevents it from becoming just a solid mass of frozen ingredients?

Answers are provided below.

Source:  International Dairy Foods Association http://www.idfa.org/

1. Vanilla is America’s favorite flavor followed by chocolate, strawberry, chocolate chip and butter pecan.
2. It takes an average of 50 licks to finish a scoop of ice cream.

3. The first ice cream cone was produced in 1896 by Italo Marchiony. Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, invented his ice cream cone in New York City. He was granted a patent in December 1903.

4. Air-- During freezing, the mixture is aerated by "dashers," revolving blades in the freezer. The small air cells that are incorporated by this whipping action prevent ice cream from becoming a solid mass.