The internet is full of fabulous facts about everything from current events to the history basket weaving and ice cream fun facts. As we research for our daily content on food trucks, food carts and street food, we stumble upon some items of knowledge that we just did not know.

We have decided when these fun facts pop up, that we would share them with our readers in our section titled “Did You Know?”

For today’s Did You Know we will look at Ice Cream Fun Facts.

Ice Cram Fun Facts: The origins of ice cream can be traced back to at least the 4th century B.C. Early references include the Roman emperor Nero (A.D. 37-68) who ordered ice to be brought from the mountains and combined with fruit toppings, and King Tang (A.D. 618-97) of Shang, China who had a method of creating ice and milk concoctions. Ice cream was likely brought from China back to Europe. Over time, recipes for ices, sherbets, and milk ices evolved and served in the fashionable Italian and French royal courts.

  • Ice cream became available to the general population in France in 1660.
  • Ice cream was introduced to America in the 1700’s, but mostly enjoyed by those of status and wealth.
  • Americans celebrated the victory of WWII with ice cream. In 1946, they ate more than 20 quarts of ice cream per person.
  • It takes 12 lbs. of milk to make just one gallon of ice cream.
  • An average dairy cow can produce enough milk in her lifetime to make a little over 9,000 gallons of ice cream.
  • The first commercial ice cream plant was established in Baltimore in 1851 by Jacob Fussell.
  • The U.S. enjoys an average of 48 pints of ice cream per person, per year, more than any other country.
  • Italo Marchiony sold his homemade ice cream from a pushcart on Wall Street. He reduced his overhead caused by customers breaking or wandering off with his serving glasses by baking edible waffle cups with sloping sides and a flat bottom. He patented his idea in 1903.
  • It takes an average of 50 licks to polish off a single-scoop ice cream cone.
  • The biggest ice cream sundae in history was made in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 1988, and weighed in at over 24 tons.

Key Ice Cream Food Holiday Dates

  • January 15th is National Strawberry Ice Cram Day.
  • June 2nd is National Rocky Road Day.
  • June 7th is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day.
  • July 20th is National Ice Cream Day.
  • July 23rd is National Vanilla Ice Cream Day.
  • August 19th is National Soft Serve Ice Cream Day.
  • September 6th is National Coffee Ice Cream Day.
  • September 22nd is National Ice Cream Cone Day.

Top 5 Ice Cream Sales by Flavor

  1. Vanilla – 28 percent
  2. Fruit flavors – 15 percent
  3. Nut flavors – 13.5 percent
  4. Candy mix-in flavors – 12.5 percent
  5. Chocolate – 8 percent

Ice Cream Fun Facts We Missed

Feel free to let us know in the comment section or our food truck forum if we missed any ice cream fun facts. We always love to add to these lists. If we can verify that the facts is just that, a fact, we will give the reader credit in the article.

Reference: Wikipedia: Fun Facts about Ice Cream.

Find all of the National Food Holidays here.