National Ice Cream Month

July is set aside as National Ice Cream Month.  You and I may think that makes sense because we may get hit with the urge to eat ice cream during warm summer months.

What kind of ice cream do you like?  Vanilla, chocolate, cookie dough, mint chocolate chip?  The list of flavors has become very long!

As I began to ponder my favorite flavor I started to wonder about ice cream.  How long has it been around and how has it evolved?

Historical facts

Did you know that King Tang of Shang in China was responsible for one of the first versions of ice cream? Back in 200 BC he had about 94 “ice men” create a cold dessert of buffalo milk, flour and camphor.

What about the Romans you ask?  The Romans were known to send slaves high up into the mountains to collect snow to flavor with fruits and juices.

Charles I of England was executed in 1649.  Do you think that’s because he paid his chef to keep his ice cream recipe a secret?

Modern days

In 1904 at the St. Louis World Fair, a Syrian vendor trying to help a neighbor who had run out of bowls, created a waffle cone with his batter.  What a great idea!

Do you have ice cream trucks that visit your neighborhood?  The first one started in 1920 by a man named Harry Burt.  I can hear the tune now!

You know July as the official Ice Cream Month because Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation back in 1984. The proclamation read, “Ice cream is a nutritious and wholesome food, …”. “It enjoys a reputation as the perfect dessert and snack food.” 

Hmmmm . . .

Private Home Health Care loves ice cream during the summer.  Likewise we enjoy it in moderation. If you are like the average American and eat 4 gallons a year you might think about scaling back to be more healthy. 🙂