Ice cream is a world-favorite dessert that has been around in one form or another for thousands of years. If you’re curious to know more about this beloved treat, here are 10 interesting and strange facts about ice cream:
#1 - Half the volume in an ice cream container is air.
I assure you, this is not a Frito-Lay situation. Ice cream gets its creamy, fluffy consistency from the air whipped into the cream when it’s made. It would be like a popsicle or a lollipop if it didn’t have all of this air. Gelato has less air whipped in, which is why it is denser and richer, while in comparison, ice cream is lighter.
#2 - The molecular structure of ice cream changes when it melts.
This is because the above-mentioned air escapes. This means that if you try to refreeze it after it has melted, it will become hard, grainy, and possibly even stinky. You probably shouldn’t eat it, not just because of the consistency issues and the aforementioned stickiness – but also because it may have bacteria like listeria infecting it now if it was left out to melt for too long.
#3 - Doctors thought ice cream caused polio in the 1940’s.
This is because polio was more rampant during the summer. The doctors of the time disregarded the fact that sugary treats were also eaten a lot in the wintertime and surmised that the sugar in the ice cream children ate during the summer must be the culprit behind polio. But don’t worry, unless you try to refreeze your ice cream after it’s been left out to melt far too long, the only bad side effect of eating too much ice cream is possible weight gain.
#4 - Dreyer's ice cream taste tester has his tongue insured.
Yep. Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc. had the policy written by the American International Life Insurance Company. Dreyer’s official taste tester, John Harrison, had his taste buds insured for 1 million dollars in 1991.
#5 - Long Beach, California, has more ice cream consumption than any other U.S. city.
Long Beach is a tourist town in California, so at first glance, this doesn’t seem like a surprise. However, when you learn that the city supposedly eats 268% more ice cream and spends 1061% more on ice cream and frozen yogurt than other cities...wow.
Long Beach doesn’t even have that many ice cream shops or frozen yogurt shops compared to other tourist towns. This staggering number most likely comes from the many ice cream trucks swarming the area. The constant noise of the music that the ice cream trucks play to attract customers has caused the city council to place new restrictions on ice cream truck music.
#6 - Sundaes were invented because of “blue laws."
In the late 1800s, America had “blue laws” restricting what you could do on Sundays. For instance, liquor could only be sold at certain places on Sundays. For some reason, it was considered wrongful to buy sodas on Sundays, so druggists (soda fountains were usually located in drug stores at the time) started putting chocolate syrup on ice cream instead of serving soda on Sundays, so they could still turn a profit.
These treats were first called “Sundays,” but that was considered offensive to very devout people, so the spelling was changed. This change also made it easier to sell sundaes on other days of the week, making it the classic dessert we know and love today.
#7 - Hawaiian punch was first an ice cream topping.
Though now it’s a popular kid’s drink, Hawaiian punch was originally a syrup drizzled on ice cream. It was first sold in 1934 and was developed by A.W Leo, Tom Yates, and Ralph Harrison because they wanted to add a tropical flavor to the line of ice cream syrups they were selling. They named the syrup “Leo’s Hawaiian punch” because most of the ingredients used in it were imported directly from Hawaii.
After a while, consumers discovered that when the syrup was added to water, it made a delicious juice drink. After the company discovered this, they began selling Hawaiian punch concentrate.
#8 - Mochi ice cream is actually an American dessert.
Frances Hashimoto invented Mochi in the late 90’s in Los Angeles. Hashimoto invented the ice cream after she and her husband, Joel, returned from a trip to Japan. After seeing the traditional mochi, which is a pounded rice flout filled with red bean paste, Hashimoto wondered if she could create a fusion food that would appeal to Americans and would also honor traditional Japanese foods. She replaced the red bean filling with ice cream, and an international sensation was born. After she died in 2012, a private equity firm purchased her company.
#9 - Brain freezes happen when the body tries to warm up after extreme cold in the mouth.
Sudden cold in the mouth or throat causes blood vessels in the roof of the mouth to expand suddenly, causing short and acute pain. A brain freeze can last from a couple of seconds to two minutes.
If you want to end a brain freeze, you can push your tongue to the roof of your mouth to warm it up, drink a warm beverage, or simply avoid brain freezes altogether by eating your ice cream more slowly to prevent the cold shock.
#2 - World War II battleships and aircraft carriers were outfitted with ice cream machinery.
Ice cream was considered an important morale booster during World War II, so much so that the Navy spent 1 million dollars on building an ice cream barge in 1942! During this period, milk was thought to be the “perfect” food because it had vitamins, calcium, and minerals which were recent discoveries in that era.
“Health” wasn’t the only reason ice cream was popular among American troops during World War II. Ice cream boosted the troops’ morale and reminded them of their hometowns. The soldiers were so devoted to this sugary treat that when the USS Lexington began sinking in 1942, soldiers grabbed containers of ice cream from the freezers before they abandoned the ship. They scooped ice cream into their helmets and licked them clean.
Bonus fact!
Ancient Romans believed that strawberries could cure depression. I think that’s a good excuse to get a scoop of strawberry cheesecake ice cream!