EASYROME

The history of ice cream is lengthy and quite elaborate, though its earliest past is largely unsubstantiated. An irrefutable fact, however, is that an overwhelming 90% of Americans currently indulge in the tasty concoction.

President Reagan recognized this popularity in 1984 with his designation of July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month, National Ice Cream Day. Some of the widespread legends about the origins of the frozen dessert involve Marco Polo, an Italian explorer of the East, who is said to have brought the recipe to Italy from his voyage to China.

According to a corroborating account, ice cream was spread to the French through the marriage of Catherine de Medici to the Duc d'Orleans in 1533. Evidence of the initial development of ice cream indeed appears in China. It dates back to the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 C.E.), whose recipe consisted of a soft milk and rice mixture added to snow and flavoured with camphor.

Since ice cream's invention, and particularly since its proliferation throughout the West, there have been a lengthy string of recipe developments. Linked to this are technical advancements that have transformed it from a rare treat to a full-fledged food. Where it was once only served at the tables of royalty and the aristocracy, ice cream is now made available to the entire population, regardless of class.

The hand-cranked freezer revolutionized the freezing process in 1846, and was eventually replaced by the continuous process freezer, adopted by ice cream manufacturers for maximum production and consistent quality.

A multitude of flavours have been created, some straying from the original homogenous blend by adding other ingredients. Some ice cream now has bits of cookies, nuts, fruit, cookie dough and chocolate chips. As well as that, we must not forget to mention the many variations on the dessert, including the ice cream soda, the ice cream sundae, and the ice cream cone. How does one celebrate a holiday with such incredible possibilities? Try them all!

Have you ever heard of ice cream being referred to as Hokey Pokey? That comes from the phrase "Ecco un poco," which was shouted by early ice cream vendors urging people to "try a sample."

More ice cream is sold on Sunday than any other day of the week, according to the International Ice Cream Association. The first ice cream parlour in the United States opened in New York City in 1776 and Vanilla is the most popular flavour of ice cream in the United States.

It is now possible to send free e-cards to celebrate Ice Cream and many Americans get into the spirit of the occasion by sending free e-cards. It is a time of fun and happiness and there is now a great choice of free e-cards to reflect this mood. You can select a free e-card that may have a picture or ice cream theme and send the ecard to any friends or close family. They then usually send an ecard back to you as they are free to send and make for a great way for people to stay in touch.

Andrew Gibson is MD of Greeting-Cards.com. It has thousands of free ecards to choose from for birthdays and all occasions. Many people now send Free e-cards to celebrate Ice Cream month and select them from http://www.Greeting-Cards.com

Article Source: ArticleSpan