An American Favorite Food: The Ice Cream Sundae

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This is another installment of the “America’s Favorite Food” series (you can read the first post that I wrote in the series “An American Favorite Food: The French Fry”).  Enjoy!

ICE CREAM!!! Whenever you just hear the word, it just has a way of bringing out the “kid” in someone. There is nothing better on a warm summer evening then a nice, big ice cream cone or a dish of ice cream. Or is there? What about a yummy Ice Cream Sundae? Have you ever wondered about the history another one of America’s favorite food…the ice cream sundae? Where did it originate? Who invented it? Well, read the following article and find out about the mysterious history of the ice cream sundae and learn some things about this tasty desert that you might not have known before.

An American Favorite Food: The Ice Cream Sundae

~ Mary Bellis, About.com Guide ~

 Historians argue over the originator of the ice cream sundae, three historical probabilities are the most popular.

Origins of the Ice Cream Sundae - Version One - Evanston, Illinois

In the Midwestern parts of United States, laws were once passed that prohibited the selling of soda water on a Sunday. The town of Evanston, Illinois was one of the first towns to pass such a law around the year 1890. As an alternative on Sundays, local soda fountains started selling ice cream sodas minus the soda, which left only the ice cream and syrup. That became the recipe of what was to become known as the ice cream sundae.

Origins of the Ice Cream Sundae - Version Two - Two Rivers, Wisconsin

Soda fountain owner, Ed Berners of Two Rivers, Wisconsin is reputed to have invented the first ice cream sundae in 1881. Berners' customer George Hallauer requested that Berners serve him a dish of ice cream topped with the syrup used for sodas. Berner liked the dish and added it to his regular menu, charging a nickel.

George Giffy, a competing soda fountain owner from nearby Manitowoc, Wisconsin felt he had to serve the same syrupy concoction as Ed Berners. However, Giffy felt that the nickel price was too cheap and decided to only serve the dish on Sundays, which soon became the name of the dish - the Ice Cream Sunday. Once Giffy realized that he was making good money from the "Ice Cream Sunday", he changed the name to the "Ice Cream Sundae" and served it daily.

Origins of the Ice Cream Sundae - Version Three - Ithaca, New York

The ice cream sundae was invented by Chester Platt who owned the Platt & Colt's drugstore in 1893. Platt prepared a dish of vanilla ice cream for the Reverend John Scott on a Sunday. Chester Platt spiced up the ice cream with cherry syrup and a candied cherry. Reverend Scott named the dish after the day. An advertisement for "Cherry Sunday" served at the Platt & Colt's drugstore has helped document this claim. It read like this: “CHERRY SUNDAY - A new 10 cent Ice Cream Specialty. Served only at Platt & Colt's. Famous day and night Soda fountain.”

I hope you enjoyed this story. Stay tuned for some more stories of “America’s Favorite Food” series in which you will learn the histories of the ice cream cone, hot dogs, and other delicious American foods.

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Do you have any fascinating facts or stories that you would like to share? Please let me know! richmullercoach@gmail.com

LOVE LAUGH LOVE

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