Ice Cream

Ice cream, a dessert that can stand alone but often acts as an accompanying side-kick, has a long history that dates back as far as the second century (“The History of Ice Cream”). Aside from the physical characteristics of ice cream: a delicious creamy texture, sweet taste, and satisfying fullness, ice cream serves far more important functions. As a child, the familiar song resonating from the “Ice Cream Man’s” truck meant that I would soon be enjoying some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. The memory always brings me back to my childhood summers and the carefree lifestyle that distances itself each day. Nowadays, when my family and I are in the mood for ice cream, we will walk over to our favorite ice cream place and discuss our busy lives with one another. Ice cream is more than just a delicious dessert. By intertwining itself into every aspect of a person’s life, it becomes an inanimate means to create happiness. This is certainly true in my family.

Since the theorized birth of ice cream, it has taken on many different forms. Traditionally, it is a mixture of milk, sugar, butterfat or cream, and various ingredients to create different flavors. However, there are several different types of ice cream including sherbet, sorbet, custard, frozen yogurt, and gelato. These varieties differ by amount of incorporated air, fat content, and presence or lack of milk. All are served frozen, have a creamy texture, and are generally very sweet.  The nutritional value of ice cream varies between different types but generally have a high calorie and fat content. In addition, because milk is a key ingredient in producing ice cream, it serves as a source of calcium. Per serving, 66 grams of vanilla ice cream usually has about 137 calories (“Nutrition Facts”).

Ice cream has appeared in society for the last 19 centuries. It is first observed in Persian Empire when grape juice concentrate was poured over ice. Since then, the frozen treat has appeared in several variations all over the globe. Catarina de’Medici and Francois Massialot have been associated with the invention of gelato and cream ice respectively, but there is not a substantial amount of evidence supporting these theories. Ice cream was a treat exclusively for royalty until 1660 when an Italian restaurant owner named Procopio served an iced dessert to the public in Paris. Fast forward to the 19^th century; Ice cream is a nationally beloved treat available at street vendors and in ice cream parlors. It was served on its own, as a sundae – ice cream topped hot fudge, or in the form of an ice cream float – combining ice cream, soda water, and a flavoring syrup (“The History of Ice Cream and the Ice Cream Cone”).

Today, ice cream is a mass produced dessert that is available all over the world. The largest producers of ice cream are Unilever and Nestle (“Ice Cream Production in the U.S."). Ice cream produced by these companies is homogenized and pasteurized, and incorporates food additives that act as a sweetener or preservative (“The Dairy Education eBook.”). Ice cream can also be produced at home using an Ice Cream Maker, creating an opportunity for interaction between whoever is involved. This method involves a churning device, which contains the key ingredients to ice cream, as well as frozen salt and liquid water.

Ice cream is available to many different communities but may vary in form. In the United States, to be considered ice cream, the dessert must meet a series of strict requirements. These include a minimum of 10% milk fat per ½ cup, 20% total milk solids, and less than 1.4% egg yolk solids (“Ice Cream Varieties”). In Italy, the analogous form of ice cream is gelato. Gelato contains similar ingredients to ice cream but incorporates less air, giving it a denser flavor (“The Dairy Education eBook”). No matter what form ice cream may take, it has come to symbolize happiness and satisfaction. A person consuming ice cream may do so to celebrate or to console him or herself after a bout of sadness. Ice cream is more than just a food; it is a modifier of internal emotions.

Works Cited

"The Dairy Education Ebook." The Dairy Education EBook Series. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.

"The History Of Ice Cream & The Ice Cream Cone." History of Ice Cream. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.

"The History of Ice Cream." The History of Ice Cream. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.

"Ice Cream Production in the U.S." WiseGeek. Conjecture, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.

"Ice Cream Varieties." Ice Cream. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.

"Nutrition Facts." Ice Creams, Vanilla. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.