97% of Americans polled say they like or love ice cream

America's ice cream obsession began under Prohibition, with the street treat acting as a legal vice that helped ease the pain of the Great Depression.

Ice cream trucks are surging in popularity

Modern companies like HipPOPs and Big Gay Ice Cream are driving a resurgence of ice cream trucks, with an annual growth of approximately 9%. Experts say the market will keep growing through at least 2030.

Ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and Italian ice are all popular cold desserts, though they have many important differences.

George Washington loved to serve ice cream while hosting guests, and spent thousands of dollars on ice cream in a single summer.

In the 19th century, ice-cream-related illnesses were somewhat regular in America thanks to vendors' poor hygienic practices.

Vanilla was originally used as an additive in chocolate rather than as a standalone flavor.

Explore a visualization of the data behind Ben & Jerry's legendary ice cream flavors.

Ice cream’s unfrozen consistency is thanks to sugar

Making ice cream is a complex, multistep scientific process. But the treat’s scoopable, chewable consistency is due to the product’s dissolved sugar.

The Mister Softee ice cream truck began with two brothers in a Chevy van in Philadelphia, selling green ice cream.

Half of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of the IRS, while 38% have a favorable view

From July 1 to July 7, 2024, Pew Research Center conducted a survey of 9,424 adults to gauge the public's attitudes about the federal government, including government agencies and departments. Of 13 agencies, 10 had net favorable ratings of 15 percentage points or more. Topping the list were the National Park Service (76% favorable), the US Postal Service (72%) and NASA (67%).

Make a popular no-churn watermelon ice cream, using just watermelon and milk.

Dairy Queen can't legally call its frozen dairy products 'ice cream' because they don't meet FDA qualifications for the term.

Tasty vegan ice cream depends on fat

Making delicious ice cream without dairy is a challenge for food scientists because most nondairy milks have more water than fat, which creates tasteless ice crystals when frozen. The key is finding a base with enough fat to give the finished product its signature creamy mouthfeel.

Americans are historically more supportive of free speech than people in most other countries

A 2016 survey of 38 countries found that the US scored highest in support for free expression, with 71% of Americans saying people should be able to say what they want without government censorship, more than in any other nation surveyed.

One US Marine fighter squadron made their own ice cream during World War II

To boost his squad’s morale during World War II, squadron commander J. Hunter Reinburg developed a method for making ice cream on the fly: Empty ammo cans filled with ingredients were flown at altitudes high enough for them to freeze.

More than half of Americans polled prefer rewatching comedies to other genres

Although streamers and networks are producing fewer sitcoms than ever before, they still have a large audience. About 59.1% of Americans polled by YouGov in a 2023 survey said "Comedy" was their favorite genre to rewatch.

A delicious flavor used to be made from a beaver’s butt

Love vanilla-flavored foods? Well, it was once made from castoreum - a yellowish exudate from the castor sacs of mature beavers. And the FDA regards castoreum as “natural flavoring."

There's no definitive reason why an ice cream sundae is spelled with an 'e' rather than a 'y.'

Kulfi, an ice cream predecessor that's still popular in India, dates back to the 16th century.

Ice cream can be traced back to a frozen milk dish from the 7th century.

A quarter of Gen Z eats organic food

A 2025 YouGov poll found that 25% of Gen Z US adults eat organic food, while 10% say they follow a whole-foods diet, meaning they seek out foods that are minimally processed.

What Americans ate after WWII

Returning from World War II, the American cultural landscape saw a vast number of changes. Cuisine, in particular, diversified and modernized thanks to traveled soldiers and wartime innovation. From inventions like powdered cheese to the popularization of instant coffee and Chinese food, explore the changes to the American food industry that continue to influence what we consume today.

A 2026 survey found that Dolly Parton is far more popular in the US than the world's politicians.

What issues Americans are prioritizing in 2022

Inflation, Crime, and Abortion—see a breakdown of voter preferences by age, race, and gender, along with what topics are top of mind for Americans.

High freezing speed restricts the development of gritty crystal chunks in ice cream

For this reason, ice cream does not maintain its smoothness when refrozen in a traditional freezer over several hours. The smooth texture is also made possible by balancing fat, sugar, and emulsifiers.