Ice CreamAll across America, people love to eat a sweet and creamy dish called ice cream. Besides its likely Chinese origin, there are many other fun facts about the history of ice cream. Since the invention of ice cream, many flavors and toppings have been discovered. Ice cream has indeed opened the door to a new world in the world of desserts. The history of ice cream dates back to the very beginning of the 15th century. Although no one knows for sure, ice cream is believed to have originated in China and was introduced to Europe by Mark Twain after his travels in China ("ice cream" Wikipedia-the online encyclopedia). When ice cream was introduced to America, it was given the name "ice cream" (Gail Damerow xvi). Previously, it was called "ice cream", "milk ice cream", "cream ice cream" or "butter ice cream" (Gail Damerow xvi). In America, ice cream was considered a specialty or rarity (Gail Damerow xvi). Famous people like George Washington and James Madison served ice cream at banquets (Gail Damerow xvi). George Washington particularly loved ice cream (Gail Damerow xvi) and ate it without it being a special occasion! With growing popularity, more ideas developed and ice cream production expanded. Jacob Fussel built the first ice cream factory in the 1800s (Mary Bellis) and America's first ice cream parlor began operations in the late 1700s (Mary Bellis). The ice cream scoop was invented in 1897 (Mary Bellis) and in 1946 Nancy Johnson invented the hand-cranked ice cream freezer (Mary Bellis). New ice cream products have also become popular. Ice cream bars, sundaes, milkshakes, and frozen sodas were all successful "descendants" of ice cream. Over the years, many flavors have been created. Because new flavors are created every day, no one has ever counted their exact number. There are many different flavors, ranging from unusual flavors like "mash" (pea ice cream and gravy) and candied bacon (Ariel Schwartz) to the more common flavors. The three most popular flavors in the United States are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry (Encyclopedia Britannica "ice cream"). In fact, it is believed that the strawberry was first eaten at one of Dolly Madison's banquets (Gail Damerow xvi).