No one really knows who invented ice cream. We have bits and pieces of information. It’s
enough to put together a basic story, but we don’t have all of the answers.
In Ancient Rome, Emperor Nero enjoyed mixing snow with fruit and honey. He frequently sent messengers out to
gather snow from the mountains.
Some historians credit Marco Polo with being the first one to bring some type of ice cream to Europe. He had
learned it from the Chinese, who had flavored snow with rice and milk to make a creamy dessert.
From there, it progressed. Eventually, ice cream recipes reached the United States a few centuries after
Christopher Columbus landed on American soil.
Back in the day, ice cream was seen as a luxurious dessert that only the elite could enjoy.
It was
considered rare and exotic, and remained this way until the late 1800s.
The elite and rich upper-class society members were the only ones who could afford the imported ingredients
and the cold storage.
These were also the days before the commercialization and manufacturing of ice cream. Therefore, it wasn’t
as easy to get for everyone, which led to the exclusivity.
