Ice Cream!

Ice Cream!

What is ice cream made from? Ice cream is made from milk products - milk, cream, yoghurt or custard - and sugar. Then flavours like strawberry, chocolate or vanilla are mixed in. Special ingredients are added to keep the ice cream fresh and easy to serve. Then it is frozen. Other ices like ice-lollies and sorbets do not use milk products - they are made from water, sugar and flavourings.

The first ice creams In China The first ice cream was made in China more than three thousand years ago. It was made by mixing ice with milk and sugar. Making ice cream was a good way of keeping milk fresh. It's freezing!

In Roman times Thank Jupiter for this water ice! Then, fifteen hundred years later, the Romans made water ices. People say that the Roman emperor, Nero, sent servants to run up the mountains to get snow and ice. These were mixed with fruit juices and honey to make water ices.

Marco Polo's ice-cream secret Marco Polo was a merchant from Venice in Italy. He travelled across China for four years, between 1271 and 1275, and some say he discovered the secret of ice cream. He then took this secret back to Italy. Fantastico - gelato!

Emperor Akbar's ice Akbar the Great was a Mogul emperor of India in the 1500s. A traveller gave him some ice with fruit juices sprinkled on it. Stories say that Akbar loved this so much, he asked for it eveiy morning. Big blocks of ice were carted across the land, from Kashmir to Delhi. It was a long way and by the time the ice reached Delhi it had melted to a little cupful.