Why do we call it "ice cream?" Excellent question! Centuries ago people started making refreshing summer-time desserts by taking sweet cream (the richest part of milk) or custard (egg-based puddings) and cooling them down with ice. The chillier the cream, the more solid the product. In sum: the first "iced creams" were so named because the appelation described the process. Seasonal fruit flavors predominated. Different words were used in other languages. Before modern refrigeration mostly wealthy people had access to ice (and by association, iced cream) in the summer. This made ice cream a rare treat. It was not until the late 19th century "ice cream" was consumed by Americans across all socio-economic levels. According to the Oxford English Dictionary the first print occurrence of the word "iced cream" as in 1688. The term "ice cream" shows up in 1744. That corresponds approximately with the time when "modern" ice creams were first manufactured. treat until mass modern technology punched in.
