History of Ice Cream

The History of Ice Cream

How the ice cream industry started

The history of Ice Cream goes back to ca. 200BC. Unlike the television or vacuum cleaner, ice cream has no specific history with one particular inventor or founding date. It started as a luxury item for those that could afford it. As more people demanded a refreshing, cool and sweet dessert ice cream soon became a treat for everyone.


In the seventeenth century, most of Europe was still adjusting to ice cream, as it was with many other types of foods. Ices were unknown in all other continents - except Mexico. Ices were mainly water-ices during this period and recipes were published in France and Great Britain, which helped popularise the consumption.

During the nineteenth century, cities such as London, Paris and New York had an abundance of ice cream manufacturers starting up and ice cream during these times in these areas was beginning to be more common. There were increasing numbers of Italian immigrants a...