Ice Cream

The poll—conducted by the International Dairy Foods Association and Morning Consult—asked over 2,200 American adults. The top flavor for Americans? Vanilla.

Ice cream is made of eggs and is high in fat, served cold. Gelato, on the other hand, has more milk and less cream, and is typically served warmer than ice cream. Sorbet is dairy-free and often includes alcohol, while Italian ice is grainy, lighter, and low in calories (and often doesn't contain dairy).

Documents from ancient China refer to a frozen milk dish, a predecessor of the treat we now know. That evolved into a blend of buffalo milk, flour, and fragrant camphor oil that more closely resembled our ice cream.

Historians believe India’s royal court began freezing condensed milk, pistachios, and saffron in conical molds to create the sweet treat. Today, it’s often served on a stick and covered with chopped pistachios.

The classic flavor didn't stand on its own until the 17th century, when Queen Elizabeth I's apothecary began intentionally making vanilla sweets.

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 ice cream death knell occurs when water crystals melt and then refreeze on the surface of the treat, creating a crunchy (but far from delectable) shell. The best way to prevent this unfortunate outcome is by storing your ice cream in a freezer that’s colder than 0°F.

Francesco Procopia dei Coltelli, a restaurateur from Palermo, Sicily, opened the gelateria in Paris. Gelaterias serve gelato, which is similar to ice cream but uses milk rather than cream.

Records show that America’s first president purchased a “cream machine for ice” as early as 1784. An accounting record from 1790 reveals that Washington spent $200—roughly equivalent to $6,300 today—on ice cream.

Ice cream was a popular dessert, but it was also a dangerous one, with numerous reports of vomiting, diarrhea, and—in some cases—death. Historians argue this was likely due to vendors' poor hygienic practices.