In the Beginning

Believe it or not, the whole thing started back when Emperor Nero played his fiddle. Ice Cream was not invented but undoubtedly evolved from the chilled wines and other beverages used in that era. In the fourth century before Christ, Alexander the Great is reported to have been fond of iced drinks, one of which, the Macedoine, is still named after him. Old Nero himself in the first centruy sent fleets of slaves to the mountains to bring snow and ice to cool, and perhaps freeze the fruit drinks he favored.

Even Marco Polo got into the act when returning from the Orient, he brought back a recipe for making water ices which he said had been in use in Asia for thousands of years. Early history tells us of a state banquet given by Charles the First of England some 300 years ago that was made memorable by the appearance of a new and unique dish. The King was so pleased with this culinary masterpiece he summoned the cook and bade him hold the recipe forever a secret and pensioned him with 500 pounds a year so that the delicacy would be reserved for the exclusive use of the royal table.

Ice cream in the New World

Records show that ice cream was brought to America as early as 1700. A caterer named Phillip Pshysic announced in a New York newspaper that he was preparted to supply the gentry various confections including ice cream. President Washington himself was know as a man of discriminiating taste, and pewter ice cream pots and ice cream making machines were found in his home. It is said Dolly Madison was the fisrt to introduce ice cream at the White House. So you can see ice cream had an important part in America's beginning.

Ice cream cones, Eskimo pies, and Popsicles

The ice cream cone came about at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. It's remained a favorite to this date where as many as 2,500,000 are sold each year. Remember the eskimo pie? This was invented in 1922. About 25 years ago a man named Epperson, a concessionaire at an amusement park in California, was visiting friends in New Jersey. One evening he set a glass of lemonade with a spoon in it on the window sill.

He forgot the mixture until the next morning when he discovered it had frozen solidly. He carried the frozen glass by the spoon handle to hold it under a water tap. The lemonade slipped out of the container in solid form. He promptly named his product Epsicle. Eventually, it became the popsicle.