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Ice Cream
The favorite ice-cream flavors in the United States are still the great
old standbys—vanilla and chocolate.
Some think Marco Polo, the 13th-century traveler, brought the first recipe for ice cream to
the West from Asia. Others believe ice cream was devised by the Roman emperor Nero, who had
runners bring in mountain snow to be mixed with fresh fruit and honey. In the rural America of
a hundred years ago, ice cream was a rare treat, made with real cream in small batches in a
churn with ice and salt.
Ice cream has been a favorite of kings and presidents (including Charles I of England and
George Washington). The first ice-cream parlor in the United States opened in New York in
1776, and the first commercial plant opened in Baltimore in 1851. In 1904, the waffle
ice-cream cone was introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair when a waffle concessionaire
began rolling his waffles into cone shapes for the ice-cream vendor in the adjoining
booth.
Varieties
Although an ever-changing menu of ice-cream flavors and products tempts us these days, the
top five flavors in the United States in 1999 were still the great old familiar ones vanilla,
chocolate, Neapolitan (the famous vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry combination), cookies and
cream, and butter pecan.
Ice cream is now produced around the world in dozens of flavors, and in low-sugar, low-fat,
and fat-free varieties.
Buying and storing tips
When buying ice cream at the grocery store, make it one of your last purchases so it
won’t have time to melt before you get home. Pack it with other frozen foods, ask for a
freezer bag, or pack it near other chilled foods to keep them cold as well.
Until a container of ice cream is opened, it can be stored for about 2 months in the
freezer at 0°F (32°C). It can be kept longer at –15°F (–26°C),
but most home freezers don’t maintain this low a temperature. To partially soften ice
cream to make it easier to serve, the container can be placed in the refrigerator for about 15
minutes; serve the desired portion, then return it to the freezer. After they are fully
thawed, ice-cream products should not be refrozen.
Availability
Ice cream is available in food stores of all kinds everywhere. Handy electric appliances
now make it easy to make ice cream at home, too.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Ice cream is enjoyed just as it is. It can also be used to make milk shakes, sodas,
sundaes, floats, and other classic soda-fountain combinations. Scoops of ice cream still make
an attractive dessert. It can be paired with fresh fruit
or nuts, or with French or Italian desserts for
a sophisticated presentation. If you have a hard time resisting ice cream, it’s probably
best to purchase this rich dessert in small portions.
Nutritional Highlights
Ice cream (chocolate, whole-milk), 1/2 cup
(66g)
Calories: 142
Protein: 2.5g
Carbohydrate: 18.6g
Total Fat: 7.2g
Fiber: 0.0g
The information presented in this website is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
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