The origins of ice cream date back to the second century B.C, but there’s no exact inventor of summer’s favorite flavor. Variations of ice cream appear throughout history, including flavored ice in the time of Alexander the Great and King Solomon. Today’s ice cream is the product of a long, delicious evolution that has led to its quintessentially American image as an innocent seasonal treat, enjoyed at home, at the local ice cream shop, or delivered to neighborhoods by truck.
Marco Polo is credited with bringing back a sherbet recipe from the Far East, which led to the development of ice cream by the 16th century. While the records are not entirely conclusive, England and Italy appear to have developed ice cream, or “Cream Ice”, around the same time. By the mid-16th century, it had become a fixture at the tables of European royalty, adorning the spoons of Catherine de Medici and Charles I.
The Italians were the first to introduce ice cream to the public, a century later, when Sicilians began selling it on the streets. It was available on the streets of Paris just a few years later.
Ice cream was first advertised in the Americas in 1777, when a confectioner named Phillip Lenzi offered ice cream in New York, New York. Ice cream was a favorite among U.S. presidents, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Washington reportedly spent $200 in a single year on ice cream. At the same time, Jefferson had his own complex 18-step recipe that he enjoyed making.
The combination of steam power, mechanical refrigeration, electric power, and a more advanced freezing process industrialized ice cream production in the US. By the mid-to-late 19th century, ice cream was readily available in new “soda fountain shops”.
During the Second World War, ice cream became a thoroughly American (and edible) symbol of morale, with each of the US armed forces going to incredible lengths to serve soldiers ice cream in all theaters of the war. Once dairy rationing was eliminated after the war, America celebrated with ice cream. The average American ate more than 20 quarts of ice cream in 1946.
Read more: The Top Five Most Popular Sandwiches in the US
Today, ice cream is a year-round consumer packaged good, though there are dozens of national chains and thousands of local ice cream shops across the country.
The most popular ice cream flavors are vanilla, chocolate, cookies 'n 'cream, strawberry, butter pecan, and cookie dough. Interestingly, the most divisive ice cream topic isn’t flavor, but soft serve vs hard ice cream.
Over 60% of Americans say they prefer hard-serve ice cream, opting for the richer, colder, and more versatile option. Because it's mass-produced, it’s available in a much wider range of flavors and can be found at every grocery store, convenience store, or gas station in the country.
Soft serve has its defenders, however, since it is served warmer and often considered easier to eat, especially for kids.
Americans spent $20.29 billion on ice cream in 2023, with the market expected to hit $26 billion by 2030. That equates to the average American spending $34 a month on ice cream in 2024, up significantly from $57 per year in 2017. Today’s intake is approximately 20 pounds of ice cream per person annually.
Max’s Service is proud to play a small role in Traverse City’s ice cream scene; we make sure your fridge stays running to keep your ice cream frozen! As your locally owned appliance store, we take immense pride in offering quality products that make more than just meals; they create memories. Shop the showroom or schedule a service appointment today.
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