Cool Off in July with America’s Favorite Confection
It’s July and, in most parts of the country, that means it’s hot. The best way to cool off and beat the summer heat? How about with a scoop or two of your favorite ice cream! If you’re like most of us, though, you could have a scoop every day and still not run out of favorites…
The History of Ice Cream
You may be surprised to learn that people ate ice cream (or something closely resembling it) more than 2500 years ago. Historians say that the ancient Persians (in what is now known as Iran) created a confection of crushed sweetened ice during the reign of Cyrus the Great (559-530 BCE). Furthermore, they didn’t just settle for vanilla. There’s evidence that they mixed with fruits and other natural flavors, and even added toppings.
America’s Love Affair with Ice Cream
Did you know that the average man, woman and child in the United States eats about four gallons of ice cream a year? That’s about 20 pounds of the stuff! And ice cream has been a part of American culture and lore since the days of the founding fathers. Historians say that the nation’s first president, George Washington, sampled the creamy delight some time around the beginning of the American Revolutionary War and never looked back. He and Martha had ice-cream making equipment at Mount Vernon and regularly treated guests to the frozen concoction.
Thomas Jefferson was also an ice cream connoisseur, responsible for bring the first recipe from France. He had ice houses erected at Monticello, so that he could regularly enjoy ice cream during the summer months.
Famous First Lady Dolly Madison also had a passion for ice cream, but often pushed the envelope on her flavor choices. At her husband’s first inauguration, she treated guests with ice cream made with fresh oysters. Apparently, it wasn’t all that well received—at James Madison’s second inauguration, she served vanilla ice cream with strawberries.
Modern President Richard Nixon was also an apparent ice cream aficionado. He discovered a taste for macadamia nut ice cream at a meeting in Hawaii and had some specially delivered from the islands to provide to the Apollo 13 astronauts at the White House.
National Ice Cream Month—Celebrating 39 Years
July officially became National Ice Cream Month in 1984, when President Ronald Reagan issued a Presidential Proclamation, affirming a Joint Resolution of Congress.
