By Randi Lynn Mrvos
Illustrated by Leticia Plate
Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar, ruler of ancient Rome from 54-68 A.D., was often thought the first to enjoy ice cream. He had snow carried from the Alps by runners. The snow was then flavored with fruit juices, honey, or wine and served to his guests. After the fall of Rome these tasty treats were no longer served. However, a renewed interest in frozen desserts resurfaced in the late 14th century, when Marco Polo returned to Italy from the Far East. In his journal, Marco Polo had copied recipes from Persia, India, and China that featured frozen concoctions flavored with fruit juice or milk. Before long, iced desserts spread from Italy to France. The French were introduced to frozen desserts in 1533 by the Italian Catherine de' Medici, the wife of the Duc d'Orléans, later Henri II. In England, ice cream was brought to King Charles I in 1625 by his French chef, DeMirco. Rumor has it that the King paid the chef 500 pounds a year to keep the recipe a secret! After the King's death, the recipe became public knowledge.
Although evidence shows that ice cream originated in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.), documented references on ice cream being served in England dates to the late 17th century. In 1777, Phillip Lenzi, a caterer, introduced ice cream to the U.S., and it became fashionable in 18th century America. President George Washington purchased two ice cream making machines for his home at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson and Dolly Madison both served ice cream at dinners. Jefferson learned how to make ice cream while serving as a diplomat in France. His recipe required 18 steps! When it was ready, the ice cream was served in a warm pastry shell.
A Philadelphia woman, Nancy Johnson invented a hand-cranked ice cream maker in 1846. Her method involved placing an ice cream mixture into a metal pail that sat in a wooden bucket. Crushed ice and rock salt were put in the space between pail and bucket. A crank turned a paddle inside pail, which stirred the creamy mixture evenly as it froze. Johnson's model is very similar to the modern day hand-crank ice cream maker we use. In 1848 a businessman, William G. Young registered Nancy Johnson's invention with the Patent Office and called it the "Johnson Patent Ice Cream Freezer." With the new invention, ice cream parlors began to open in cities across the country.
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