Heat in summers is unbearable and has often made people find ways to cool themselves. During this quest, a genius still unknown had discovered the initial ice cream. Not only was it a cool invention at that time but today it has become a popular dessert. Enjoying ice creams in summers and even in winters is as common as any other work in every part of the world.
When you see the history of ice cream you will realize how smart the early civilization was. Its timeline has evolved immensely and today we see innumerable flavors and kinds of ice cream.
Ice cream has been around for a long time, but where exactly did it come from? This graphic below might have the answers!
China was the country that invented the first ice cream-like dessert in 97 AD. Between 618-97 AD, many variations of the dish became popular. King Tang of Shang supposedly had about 94 icemen that were dedicated for making a variety of ice cream with buffalo milk, camphor, and flour. A very closer dish was made in 200 BC in China where milk was mixed with rice and frozen in snow.
There are also proofs that suggest Roman emperors’ interests in ice cream. They had slaves who were sent to the mountains for bringing fresh snow. This snow was flavored differently and served as ice-cream. Another famous finding is that Charles I, the King of England, paid 500 pounds to his ice cream chef every year. This was offered so that the recipe could be kept a secret from the country.
Ice cream became popular outside China after Marco Polo introduced it to Italy. It is said that during his exploration in China he found out ice creams and the process of making it. He then revealed the recipe to Italians. However, few argue that the recipe Marco Polo shared was similar to what we call as sherbet today. When Catherine de Medici from Italy married France’s Henry II, she introduced the concept of ice cream to France in 1553. Only in 1660 was this royal dessert introduced to the general public. Café Procope which was the first café in Paris had an ice cream made from blending milk, butter, cream and eggs. The credit of this modern recipe goes to the owner of the café, Sicilian Procopio.
Even prior to the actual ice cream’s invention, Alexander the Great had a weakness for ice and snow flavored with nectar and honey. There are a few Biblical references showing that King Solomon also liked iced drinks during the harvest season. Nero Claudius Caesar also had runners who were sent to mountains to bring snow which was flavored using various fruits and juices.
Thanks to this genius invention and the invention of refrigerators that we can enjoy this amazing dessert at the comfort of our house.