From chicken to lobster
Sweet relief! Pope Francis’ return from hospital after a month-long battle with pneumonia had Romans shouting "Hallelujah!" And now, they can taste it, too. A new gelato flavor, called Hallelujah, made its debut over the weekend, featuring gianduia—a blend of roasted hazelnuts and pure chocolate.
Coinciding with the pope’s recovery, the sweet creation also marked International Handmade Gelato Day on March 24, with proceeds supporting homelessness initiatives worldwide. Unveiled at kiosks near the Vatican, the flavor quickly became a pilgrimage of its own, drawing tourists, locals, and gelato lovers eager for a taste.
Enjoyed by both young and old, ice cream is undoubtedly one of the world's most popular desserts. With several flavors developed over centuries, the love for this frozen treat never fades. However, when it comes to actual ice-cream facts, we don't really know much. For instance, when was it invented? And which figures in history loved it?
Want to find out these answers and discover some other cool ice-cream facts? Then check out this gallery!
Ruling from 618-97 BCE, King Tang of Shang had 94 of his ice men (who handled his ice supply) help create a dish made of buffalo milk, flour, and camphor. This resulted in the first ice cream-like product.
In the 13th century, Venetian traveler Marco Polo introduced Asian ice-cream recipes to Europe. He must have been amazed by this frozen treat from the Far East.
In 1565, Italian architect Bernardo Buolantalenti made it possible for noblemen to enjoy frozen drinks and ice shavings. He's also credited with inventing the precursor to modern Florentine gelato.
The Ancient Romans sent out slaves to collect snow for their ice cream. The snow was later mixed with various fruit juices, which resulted in different flavors.
Charles I of England treated his ice-cream recipe as if it was a state secret. He used to pay his chef a considerable yearly sum to keep it a secret. However, the chef had already sold the recipe by 1649.
About 50% of the volume found in ice cream is air. This gives the tasty dessert its light texture.
The edible ice-cream container was invented at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 by a Syrian man named Ernest E. Hamwi. He created the cone at his waffle booth when his neighbor ran out of serving bowls.
Ice-cream trucks can only play music between the hours of 12 pm to 7 pm in Britain. This rule was established to avoid disturbing people early in the morning and late at night.
Japan is known for their adventurous food. You can find ice creams with green tea and red bean flavors, for instance. But some of their strangest flavors are octopus, cow tongue, and shrimp!
The US produces an average of 1.6 billion gallons (3 billion liters) of ice cream every year. Now, that's a lot of ice cream!
In 1843, Nancy Johnson produced a freezing machine that made use of a hand crank. It included a wooden pail and a pewter cylinder.
While ice cream did originate in China, the type we all know today was created in Italy. Called gelato, it's widely popular around the world.
The Empress of Russia adored ice cream. So much so that she had a special ice-cream service set made from Sèvres porcelain.
Ice cream is typically made from dairy products, such as milk and cream. It's then often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavors.
While vanilla is the most popular flavor across the world, it wasn't invented first. That trophy goes to chocolate-flavored ice cream.
US President Ronald Reagan designated the month of July as National Ice Cream Month. A fan of the frozen treat, he also assigned the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day.
An American favorite, the original sundae consists of vanilla ice cream topped with a flavored sauce or chocolate syrup. It then has whipped cream and a single maraschino cherry on top.
It's believed that in ancient Rome, Emperor Nero loved lemon sorbet enriched with squashed raspberries and rose water. It sure sounds fancy!
While ancient ice creams were just like Emperor Nero enjoyed, it started to change during the Victorian era. During this time, people began using elaborate molds and presses, adding milk, cream, and butterfat.
Throughout the summer of 1790, US President George Washington spent roughly US$200 on ice cream. That would be over $5,000 in today's money!
When tasting a new flavor, professional ice-cream tasters use golden spoons. This is so the metal doesn't impact the taste of the ice cream. What a dream job!
Hawaii has a fruit that tastes exactly like vanilla ice cream. It's called inga feuillei. However, locals call it the ice-cream bean.
In the US, shop owners invented the ice-cream sundae to get around this law. They replaced soda with syrup, and replaced the y on Sunday with an e.
In Victorian England, ice cream from street vendors was known as a "penny lick." This is because ice cream was sold for one penny. As the container wasn't washed between costumers, the penny lick was banned in 1898 due to the spread of cholera and tuberculosis.
Also known as a brain freeze, this phenomenon happens when something frozen touches the roof of your mouth. This makes the blood vessels tense up, causing the brain freeze.
Created by Italian immigrants in the US, Neapolitan ice cream has three layers, each of a different flavor and color. The chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors are molded into blocks, mimicking the Italian flag.
Before the development of the modern-day refrigerator, ice cream was a luxury reserved for special occasions. Only the wealthy could afford it on a frequent basis.
A dairy cow produces enough milk in its lifetime to make 7.5 thousand gallons (3,4000 liters) of ice cream.
America has Thomas Jefferson to thank for vanilla-flavored ice cream. He brought the recipe to the US after a trip to France. The original handwritten recipe can be found at the Library of Congress.
Sources: (Facts.net) (Kidadl)
Romans celebrate pope’s recovery with heavenly gelato flavor ‘Hallelujah’
The new flavor blends hazelnuts and chocolate
FOOD Dessert
Sweet relief! Pope Francis’ return from hospital after a month-long battle with pneumonia had Romans shouting "Hallelujah!" And now, they can taste it, too. A new gelato flavor, called Hallelujah, made its debut over the weekend, featuring gianduia—a blend of roasted hazelnuts and pure chocolate.
Coinciding with the pope’s recovery, the sweet creation also marked International Handmade Gelato Day on March 24, with proceeds supporting homelessness initiatives worldwide. Unveiled at kiosks near the Vatican, the flavor quickly became a pilgrimage of its own, drawing tourists, locals, and gelato lovers eager for a taste.
Enjoyed by both young and old, ice cream is undoubtedly one of the world's most popular desserts. With several flavors developed over centuries, the love for this frozen treat never fades. However, when it comes to actual ice-cream facts, we don't really know much. For instance, when was it invented? And which figures in history loved it?
Want to find out these answers and discover some other cool ice-cream facts? Then check out this gallery!