Ice Cream All across America, people love to eat the sweet, creamy dish called ice cream. Besides its likely Chinese origin, there are many other fun facts surrounding the history of ice cream. Since the invention of ice cream, many flavors and toppings have been discovered. Ice cream has in fact opened the doors to a new world in the universe of desserts. The history of ice cream dates back to the early 15th century. Although no one knows for sure, it is claimed that ice cream 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 brought to America, it was given the name “ice cream” (Gail Damerow xvi). It was previously called “ice,” “milk ice,” “cream ice,” or “butter ice” (Gail Damerow xvi). In America, ice cream was considered a specialty or rarity (Gail Damerow xvi). Famous people such as George Washington and James Madison served ice cream at banquets (Gail Damerow xvi). George Washington especially liked ice cream (Gail Damerow xvi) and ate it without it being a special occasion! With the growing popularity, more ideas were developed and ice cream production expanded. Jacob Fussel built the first ice cream factory in 1800 (Mary Bellis), and America's first ice cream shop went into business 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 also became popular. Ice cream bars, sundaes, milkshakes and ice cream sodas were all successful "descendants" of ice cream. Many flavors have been created over the years. Since new flavors are made every day, no one has ever counted the exact number. There are many different flavors ranging from unusual ones like "the mash" (ice cream with peas and salsa) and candied bacon (Ariel Schwartz) to the more common flavors. The three most popular flavors in the United States are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry (“ice cream” from Encyclopedia Britannica). In fact, the strawberry was supposedly first eaten at one of Dolly Madison's banquets (Gail Damerow xvi).