How Well Do You Know Ice Cream? 35 Fun Facts

How well do you know ice cream? Whether you own or work for an ice cream parlor, or you're just an avid fan of this cold treat, this list of 35 fun-to-know facts will make you the ice cream expert in any environment.

1. It takes 50 licks to finish the average cone.
2. There are many styles of ice cream -- including frozen custard, frozen yogurt, gelato, sherbet, and reduced-fat options -- but they all coexist under the same label.
3. There should be about 273 calories in a single cup of vanilla ice cream.
4. The end of World War II was celebrated by eating ice cream. In fact, it was during the war that this frosty treat became popular around the globe.
5. The familiar "brain freeze" phenomenon occurs when the frozen treat comes into contact with the roof of your mouth, causing the blood vessels in your head to dilate.
6. The ice cream industry in the United States moves over $21 billion each year.
7. Three gallons of milk are needed to produce just one gallon of ice cream.
8. People in France began eating ice cream and other cold treats regularly by 1660.
9. There are three different levels in a standard ice cream machine. Two of the levels introduce flavor to the mixture, while the third level processes it with continuous mixing.
10. The United States produces more ice cream than any other country. California produces more than any other state, making over 121 gallons of the delicious treat in 2003 alone.
11. The most popular sundae topping is chocolate syrup.
12. Throughout the 1700s, ice cream was enjoyed by the elite in America as a delicacy. The first parlor opened in New York in 1776. Today, 87% of all Americans claim to have ice cream in their freezer at any given time.
13. According to market analysts, ice cream sales may increase during times of recession or war. We love some comfort food, too.
14. In the United States, July has been celebrated as National Ice Cream Month since 1984.
15. A particular fruit native to Hawaii is said to taste like vanilla ice cream. It's referred to as "the ice cream bean."
16. According to historians, Alexander the Great enjoyed eating an ancient form of ice cream: snow that was flavored with honey and nectar.
17. After cookies, ice cream products are the bestselling desserts in the United States.
18. The biggest ice cream cake in the world weighed 12,096 pounds.
19. Generally, Sundays are an ice cream shop's most profitable day. It makes sense to stock up on your favorite frozen dessert supplies before the end of the week!
20. Roughly 9% of all milk produced in the United States is used to make ice cream.
21. Over the course of its life, a single cow can produce enough milk to make 9,000 gallons of ice cream.
22. In the 1300s, Marco Polo brought an early form of your favorite treat to Europe after discovering it on his travels.
23. One of the more unusual flavors of ice cream was created in Arizona: hotdog. Yes, you read that right.
24. Frozen yogurt is thought to be a slightly healthier option compared to traditional ice cream. By the end of 2013, there were an estimated 2,582 stores devoted specifically to selling frozen yogurt. That's a lot of ice cream shop supplies.
25. One in 10 people admit to licking the bowl clean.
26. One in five people admits to sharing dessert with their pets.
27. In 1929, the rocky road became the first widely available flavor of ice cream after vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
28. The ice cream cone was invented during the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, MO. It happened when an ice cream vendor couldn't keep up with the large demand, so he got a waffle vendor nearby to help him. The rest is history.
29. Sundaes were invented in the 1880s.
30. The most popular ice cream flavor is vanilla, followed closely by chocolate and then strawberry.
31. Ice cream was introduced in North America 250 years after it was discovered by Christopher Columbus.
32. The world’s largest ice cream sundae was made in 1988 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It weighed a full 24 tons.
33. 90% of all American households eat ice cream.
34. The United States is the largest consumer of ice cream. The average American eats 48 pints of ice cream every year.
35. Industrial ice cream production started in 1851 in Boston, MA, eight years after the churn for making it was invented.

And there you have it: 35 interesting and surprising facts by Frozen Dessert Supplies about everyone's favorite frozen treat. You can now consider yourself a top expert on ice cream!