Lecture Notes: The History of Ice Cream

Introduction

• Context: CIA's failed attempt to poison Fidel Castro with a frozen pill in 1963.
• Importance of ice cream in culture and history.

Early Origins of Ice Cream

• Cold Desserts and Iced Drinks
  • First accounts date back to the 1st century.
  • Ancient Rome, Mughal India, and Tang dynasty China enjoyed icy treats, primarily by elites.
  • Difficulties in freezing desserts:
    • Mediterranean nobility sent laborers to gather glacial ice and snow.
    • Ancient Persians used "sky cooling" technique with shallow pools to freeze.

Development of Ice Cream

• Sherbet Origins

  • Ice cream inspired by sherbet (Arabic: sharbat), originating in Persia.
  • Gained popularity in the Middle Ages; European travelers brought recipes back home.
  • Varieties included chocolate, pinecone, and eggplant flavors.

• First Ice Cream Recipe

  • 1692: Antonio Latini recorded a milk-based ice cream recipe, considered the first of its kind.

Ice Cream in the 18th Century

• Ice cream became more accessible to upper classes in North America.
• Ingredients (sugar, salt, cream) were expensive at that time.
• George Washington spent the equivalent of $6,600 on ice cream in one summer.

Industrialization and Popularization

• 19th Century Innovations
  • 1843: Nancy Johnson patented an ice cream-making machine with crank and beater for easier home preparation.
  • Frederic Tudor improved the ice trade in the mid-1830s, making ice more accessible to households.
• Street Vendors and Soda Fountains
  • Late 1880s: Italian immigrants became street vendors selling ice cream for a penny.
  • Drugstores combined soda with ice cream, creating soda fountains.
  • After Prohibition (1920), saloons transformed into soda fountains, and breweries started producing ice cream.
• Refrigeration Advancements
  • By the end of WWII, most American homes had freezers for ice cream storage.
  • Freezer-equipped trucks emerged, distributing ice cream widely.

Conclusion

• Ice cream continues to evolve in modern times.
• Cultural impact and enduring popularity: our love for ice cream will never thaw.