Who doesn’t love ice cream? July marks the celebration of American National Ice Cream Month, which has been celebrated since President Ronald Reagan signed it into law during his presidency in the 1980s. Here are some fun facts about ice cream to ponder while you enjoy your favorite dessert!

1. July is National Ice Cream Month

In 1984, in recognition of the American people’s penchant for the dessert, US president Ronald Reagan declared July National Ice Cream Month, with National Ice Cream Day to be celebrated on the third Sunday. Interestingly, Sunday is also the day of the week on which people consume the most ice cream, which by some extension, is believed to be the etymology of the word ‘sundae’.

2. ABOUT 87% OF AMERICANS HAVE ICE CREAM IN THEIR FREEZER RIGHT NOW

On any given day, it’s estimated, nearly 9 out of 10 Americans have a tub of ice cream in their freezer. What can we say? When you want it, you want it!

3. It takes approximately 50 licks to finish one scoop of ice cream.

Think you can do it in less? Of course, there are a variety of factors that can affect this, including flavor, temperature, and how long your tongue is!

4. New Zealand consumes the most ice cream per capita

It bats back and forth between a few nations from year to year, but in 2022, the title for the most avid ice cream eaters in the world goes to the people of New Zealand. The average Kiwi consumes 28.4 liters of the stuff in a year, which is a testament to the high quality of dairy products for which the country is renowned. Other countries of ice cream lovers include the US, where an impressive 20.8 liters are eaten per capita; and Australia, where each person puts away 18 liters.

5. THE WAFFLE CONE WAS AN ACCIDENT

It seems too tasty to be true, but the waffle cone was invented by accident. In 1904 in Missouri, an ice cream seller had to improvise after running out of ice cream cones. He asked a nearby waffle vendor to help make a container for his ice cream, and the rest is delicious history.

6. Nationally, vanilla and chocolate ice cream combine for 52% of ice cream sales.

Here at Strasburg Creamery, our top-selling flavor is the beloved vanilla. So popular that there are 2 tubs of this flavor in the case at all times!

7. It takes a weighty 12 pounds of milk to make one gallon of ice cream

A single cow can produce 64 pounds of milk in one day. This means that, if you had just one cow, you could open up a small ice cream shop and sell up to 5.3 gallons of goodness each day.

8. THE FIRST AMERICAN ICE CREAM PARLOUR IS OLDER THAN YOU THINK

If it doesn’t surprise you that the very first ice cream parlour opened in Paris in 1686, perhaps the fact that the first ice cream parlour in the United States opened in 1776 will.

9. John Harrison, whose job is to taste ice cream for Dreyer’s, has his tongue insured.

Harrison’s taste buds are insured for a million dollars; he is such a discerning taster that he can taste the difference between infinitesimal variations in butterfat.

10. A Norwegian company made the biggest ice cream cone ever

They love their ice cream in Norway, and in 2015, ice cream company Hennig-Olsen set a new record for the biggest ice cream cone. The 110-kilogram cone topped with 1,080 liters of ice cream was three meters and eight centimeters in height, and could have provided 10,800 two-scoop servings. What flavor was it? Vanilla with strawberry and chocolate toppings, which seems — let’s be honest — inconsistently ordinary.