According to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the average American eats roughly 20 pounds of ice cream each year, or about 4 gallons. The summer reaches peak temperatures in July, so it makes sense that Americans will reach for a bowl of ice cream as a way to cool off and enjoy the nation’s favorite frozen treat with friends and family.
That also might be why President Ronald Reagan decided to designate July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day in 1984. In his proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
But that’s not all! July 17th is National Peach Ice Cream Day, July 23rd is National Vanilla Ice Cream Day, and July 7th, 8th, and 25th are Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae, Ice Cream Sundae, and Hot Fudge Sundae Days, respectively. So what are you waiting for? Let’s eat some ice cream!
There’s no known inventor that can be credited with creating ice cream, unfortunately. But the history of ice cream is as rich as gelato. It’s been said that ice cream-like food was first consumed in China sometime between 618-97 AD. The first dish was made from flour, buffalo milk, and camphor, an organic compound commonly used in lotion. It’s also been noted that Alexander the Great adored ice and snow flavored with nectar and honey.
Close to a thousand years later in Italy, Marco Polo had returned from the Far East and bought back a recipe for what we now know as sherbet. It is assumed that this recipe developed into what we now know as ice cream which was once called ‘‘Cream Ice.’ It was in 1660 that the general public was presented with ice cream. An Italian man named Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli decided to perfect a machine made by his fisherman grandfather which produced top-quality gelato in his café. The recipe blended milk, butter, eggs, and cream and was sold in Paris.
Ice cream has historically been a key feature of American communities. The first mention of ice cream in the United States derives from a letter written in Maryland in 1744 by Governor William Bladen’s guest. Then, the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, printed the first advert for ice cream in the United States. Following the American Revolution, ice cream became super popular in the US.
Since then ice cream has exploded onto the desert scene with the creation of home machines, as well as the emergence of ice cream vans, ice cream floats, sundaes, and well-known brands like ‘‘Ben and Jerry’s’’ and ‘‘Haagen-Dazs’’ that we still consume to this day. The effect of ice cream on society is so great, that the brain of an ice cream lover has been likened to that of an addict. When the brain wants ice cream, it reacts like a passionate fanatic.
According to an IDFA survey, most ice cream companies are family owned and have been in operation for more than 50 years! Here’s more sweet news: Ice cream companies help support the U.S. economy, contributing more than $13 billion directly to the national economy and supporting nearly 29,000 direct jobs that generate $1.8 billion in direct wages, according to IDFA’s Dairy Delivers®. In 2021, ice cream makers in the U.S. churned out more than 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream.
Enjoy your bowl or cone all month long, but especially on Ice Cream’s special day, July 17th. Share your ice cream facts and figures with #NationalIceCreamMonth on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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