Ice cream (sometimes known as iced cream or cream ice) is a sweetened frozen dessert or snack. It’s made using dairy milk or cream, sugar or a substitute sweetener, and any spice like chocolate or vanilla. It may also be made using a flavored cream base and liquid nitrogen. Colorings are commonly employed in conjunction with stabilizers. The liquid is spun to include air gaps and cooled below the freezing point of water to avoid visible ice crystals from forming. The result is a semi-solid, smooth foam that solidifies at extremely low temperatures (below 2 degrees Celsius or 35 degrees Fahrenheit). It gets more pliable as the temperature rises.

The meaning of the phrase “ice cream” varies from country to country. Terms such as “frozen custard,” “frozen yogurt,” “sorbet,” “gelato,” and others are used to distinguish distinct types and styles. In certain countries, such as the United States, the phrase “ice cream” refers to only one variety, and most governments limit commercial usage of the various terms based on the relative quantities of the essential ingredients, notably the amount of cream. When a product does not meet the definition of ice cream, it is sometimes referred to as a “frozen dairy delight.” Other nations, such as Italy and Argentina, use a single word to refer to all varieties. Lactose intolerant people, those allergic to dairy protein, and vegans can utilize milk substitutes or dairy alternatives such as goat’s or sheep’s milk (e.g., soy, cashew, coconut, almond milk, or tofu).

Ice cream can be served with a spoon, on plates, or licked off edible cones. Ice cream may be used to produce floats, sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream cakes, and even baked delicacies like Baked Alaska.

Frozen sweets have no known origins. However, there are many legends about their past. Although sorbet is currently considered to have originated in Persia, some sources claim that ice cream-like dishes date back to 550 BCE in Persia. Others believe that Nero, the Roman Emperor, created the first sorbet with honey and wine using ice from the Apennine Mountains. Ice cream is said to have originated in the Mongol Empire and was originally introduced to China during the Mongol Empire’s expansion, according to certain accounts.

It is sometimes attributed to Arab traders, but most often to Marco Polo, who is credited with spreading it throughout Europe. Despite the fact that sorbet-style sweets are not mentioned in any of Polo’s works, he is often credited with bringing them to Italy after learning about them during his travels in China. The Italian princess Catherine de Medici is said to have brought flavored sorbet ices to France when she married the Duke of Orléans (Henry II of France) in 1533 by bringing numerous Italian cooks with her. A century later, Charles I of England was said to be so enamored with the “frozen snow” that he promised his own ice cream maker a lifetime pension in return for keeping the formula a secret, thereby making ice cream a royal prerogative. There is no evidence to support any of these legends.

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