8 Fun Facts About Ice Cream
A world-famous dessert like ice cream never comes alone—it brings with it a rich, sometimes mysterious history and plenty of oddities you probably never knew. Since we’re absolutely melted by our love for ice cream, we took a closer look at its story… and found more than we bargained for.
1. And the prize for inventing ice cream goes to…
…uhhh… no one? Actually, no one really knows. We’ve been too busy enjoying it to investigate its origins. Some say that in Ancient Rome, Emperor Nero had a soft spot for a dessert made of snow, fruit, and honey. He would send servants into the mountains to gather clean snow, which was then stored in deep pits. Others claim that Marco Polo brought back from China the secret to a dessert made of snow, rice, milk, and flavorings—a prototype of today’s ice cream.
2. The first written ice cream recipe isn’t what you’d expect
In 1660s England, Lady Anne Fanshawe—a noblewoman and cookbook author—included what’s now recognized as the first written ice cream recipe. She called it “icy cream” and started by boiling cream with… nutmeg. Not too bad, right? But the main flavoring? Ambergris—a waxy substance found floating on the ocean and secreted from a sperm whale’s digestive tract. In her defense, ambergris was once known as “sea gold” and is still used in luxury perfumes today due to its strong, exotic scent.
3. Ice cream was once a luxury
Lady Anne’s recipe and similar ones were strictly for the elite. Ice cream remained an expensive treat until the late 1800s. Only wealthy families could afford the ingredients and cold storage needed to enjoy this exotic dessert.
4. How many licks does it take to finish a scoop?
About 50 licks—give or take. But hey, don’t take our word for it. Grab a cone and test it yourself!
5. Which came first: chocolate or vanilla?
Most people assume vanilla came first because it’s considered the “classic” or base flavor. But the truth? Chocolate was first! And speaking of it—did you know chocolate syrup is still the most popular ice cream topping?
6. Where does real vanilla come from?
We’re talking about real vanilla, not synthetic vanillin. Authentic vanilla is sold as pods filled with seeds and comes mostly from Madagascar (Bourbon vanilla) and Indonesia. Mexico and Tahiti are also major vanilla producers. So if you see real vanilla in your scoop, know it’s traveled far to get there.
7. The American dream tastes like vanilla
You’d think hot countries would eat the most ice cream, but stats tell a different story. The top ice cream consumers per capita? New Zealand, the USA, Australia, Finland, and Sweden. In the U.S., 87% of households have ice cream in the freezer, and vanilla is the #1 flavor. An average American eats 22–23 liters of ice cream per year, and 9% of the country’s milk is used just for making it. Now that’s cool!
8. The weirdest ice cream flavors ever sold…
…include avocado, garlic, jalapeño, and even pickles. So… who’s up for a scoop?