Did You Indulge?

We enjoyed a favorite treat yesterday, not for the first time on our recent road trip to RI.

Many long-time readers of this blog already know that this favorite is ice cream.

We're very huge fans who never really need a reason to enjoy this cold treat. 

Does anyone?

Actually, it was to celebrate the day. In case you missed it, Sunday, July 21, was the 40th anniversary of National Ice Cream Day in the U.S. That's reason enough to celebrate.

In July 1984, under Presidential Proclamation 5219, President Ronald Reagan named July as National Ice Cream Month and designated the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day and this year that third Sunday was yesterday. 

True, the proclamation only indicated a single 1984 day and year, but since then July ice cream month has become widely publicized by ice cream makers and sellers. So now, ice cream fans, like us celebrate more often, not just in July. 

We're not alone. The average American eats some 20 pounds of ice cream each year. Sunday is the most popular day to enjoy it. Vanilla is the most popular flavor worldwide (a surprise), followed by chocolate. California leads the U.S. in ice cream eating with over 4,200 ice cream shops. Minnesota folks eat the least. Statistically, men eat less ice cream than women; folks aged 55 and over consume the most.

Eskimo King in Bristol, RI

The origin of ice cream isn't really known, but according to popular urban legends, ice cream was invented by the ancient Chinese, brought to Italy by Marco Polo, then to France by Catherine de Medici, then by Thomas Jefferson to America. There's no proof supporting any of these legends. 

It's known that George Washington served ice cream and, in 1784, had a mechanical ice cream maker at his Mount Vernon estate. That's thought to be the same year that Jefferson developed a taste for ice cream when serving as a diplomat in Paris. Later, as president, he served ice cream in the executive mansion and wrote out a recipe for vanilla ice cream.

By the late 19th century, the U.S. had a lot of ice cream innovations. In 1874, the first ice cream soda was mixed by a Philadelphia pharmacist. The ice cream sundae dates to 1881, several Midwestern towns claim to be home to its creation. Historians suggest that ice cream sundae originated as a workaround for Blue Laws that prohibited the sale of ice cream sodas on Sunday.  Strange as it seems, religious groups opposed what they called “sucking sodas” and felt it should be banned on the Sabbath. 

Ice Cream sign in Warren, RI

Edible ice cream cups were patented in the 1880s. Milkshakes promoted as a health drink (why not?) became popular. The waffle cone was introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Dairy Queen and the Carvel company claim to have developed the first soft-serve ice cream in the mid-1930s. Frozen yogurt, was introduced in the 1970s.

In 1920, ice cream's popularity soared after Congress passed the 18th amendment outlawing the sale, manufacture, and transport of alcoholic beverages. American breweries like Anheuser-Busch and Yuengling partially switched to ice cream and soda production to survive. In 1926, Clarence Vogt, a refrigeration engineer and inventor in Louisville, KY, created the first commercially successful continuous process freezer, the Vogt Instant Freezer. Ingredients would be poured in at one end and ice cream came out the other end, which eventually lead to mass marketing of ice cream.

If anyone needs a reason to celebrate ice cream, how about hot weather as a really good one? Most everyone has had some in recent weeks. But then, ice cream is good in cooler weather too.

Go ahead and indulge, even if you missed the anniversary date. It's never too late, besides we won't tell anyone 😋🍦.

The Eskimo King fiberglass statue shows a grinning boy holding an ice cream cone. These statues were originally produced for A&W Root Beer by International Fiberglass and known as the Teen Burger statue. The design was modified by the manufacturer to its present form with overalls and a lip-licking tongue. Years ago, Eskimo King held a contest to name its statue and the winning name was "Manny Flavors." The company's motto is "Where Ice Cream Rules."