National Ice Cream Day: Fun facts about everyone’s favorite frozen treat

(CNN) — I scream, you scream — well, you know the rest. Americans will have an excuse Sunday to dig into their favorite flavors as the country celebrates National Ice Cream Day.

We’ve got the scoop on all your biggest questions.

Where did ice cream come from?

Our love for ice cream goes way, way back. Thousands of years ago, people around the world figured out that cold + sweet = a delicious combo.

Records show that some of history’s most famous leaders enjoyed cold treats, from Roman Emperor Nero to Alexander the Great. Even King Solomon was fond of “a snow-cooled drink at harvest time,” according to some Bible translations.

Historians believe the ancient Chinese were the first to develop a cool, creamy treat that resembles what we enjoy today. In the 1500s, ice cream started to spread through Europe, though at first only aristocrats could afford it.

No one knows for sure when ice cream made its way to the US, but at least a few Founding Fathers were fans.

Thomas Jefferson wrote down 18-step instructions, the first known ice cream recipe recorded by an American. And George Washington reportedly dished out $200 in a single summer to get his frosty fix. In today’s dollars, that’s a lot of money.

Did Prohibition really boost ice cream sales?

It’s true. When Prohibition banned alcohol sales, Americans turned to ice cream as a fun alternative.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as new technologies made it easier than ever to manufacture and cool ice cream — and send its popularity soaring.

Frosty ice cream was enjoyed by all types of people throughout the country. In fact, it was served to new immigrants on Ellis Island and even US soldiers during World War II.

When did the US create National Ice Cream Day?

Thanks to President Ronald Reagan, National Ice Cream Day is legit.

In 1984, he signed a proclamation that declared July to be National Ice Cream Month. The third Sunday of that month, which this year falls on July 21, became officially known as National Ice Cream Day.

The proclamation — No. 5219, to be exact — describes “a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over 90 percent of the people in the United States.”

Although we can’t vouch for his stats, it does sound pretty accurate. Right?

How much ice cream do Americans consume?

Today, the average American consumes more than 20 pounds of ice cream each year, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

If you think that’s a lot, multiply it by 329 million Americans.

What’s the most popular flavor of ice cream in the US?

From Neapolitan to chocolate chip cookie dough, there’s no shortage of flavors.

That’s not all. You can also get it nitrogen-blasted, hand-rolled, or charcoal-infused.

Ice cream can even be made without the help of cows. Biotech company Perfect Day debuted a lab-grown dairy ice cream that uses genetic engineering to recreate the proteins usually found in cow’s milk.

Still, the top flavor in the US? Plain old vanilla, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

So, this weekend, don’t think of your sweet tooth as a guilty pleasure, but as a patriotic duty.

The-CNN-Wire
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