You would be forgiven for thinking that two of the most common ice cream flavors, chocolate and vanilla, were invented at the same time. when it came to our favorite frozen treat. The explanation is a little bit historical, a little bit anthropological, and a whole lot of importing and exporting.
Ice cream's origins are murkier than vanilla or chocolate, and the frosty dessert has been around longer than you might think. Alexander the Great and Roman Emperor Nero would send soldiers and slaves into the mountains to collect snow, which was then mixed with honey and fruit pulp to make an ancient version of . Many years later, Italian explorer Marco Polo brought an Asian variant of the fruity iced snack to Europe, though this was more like sherbet than ice cream.
Italian and French nobles began experimenting with iced creations, adding eggs, cream, and butter in the 17th century. English colonists then brought it to the New World, where it became popular after the Revolutionary War. Presidents Washington, Jefferson, and Madison all served ice cream at White House events and at home.
A brief history of chocolate ice cream Chocolate was discovered in the pre-Columbian era, due to the cocoa tree's literal roots in South America. Ancient cultures, like the Mayans and Aztecs, consumed chocolate as a frothy, bitter drink in religious ceremonies and daily life. By the time European explorers landed, cocoa beans were firmly entrenched in the Americas and were used as both currency and t.
