You scream, I scream...
No matter what we're doing, the sound of an ice cream van is enough to stop many of us in our tracks.
Whether it's soft-serve or a classic lolly, something iced always hits the spot on a hot day. But the story behind your favourite frozen treat might be more unusual than you think.
From happy accidents to some rather gross ingredients, BBC Bitesize has pulled together five historical facts about ice cream you might not know.
1. Waffle we do about the ice cream tub?
Whether you prefer to make ice cream at home or buy it from a shop, there's one burning question: waffle or wafer?
Before the 1890s, you wouldn't have had either. Ice cream from street vendors, known as a 'penny lick' in Victorian England, was first served in thick glasses or a ceramic bowl.
As the name suggests, you could get one scoop for a penny, lick it clean, then return it to the vendor to be washed and reused. Of course, this wasn't especially hygienic. The penny lick was banned in London in 1898 due to the spread of diseases like cholera, and vendors all over the country were threatened with closure.
A few ice cream makers were already working on an edible container for ice cream. In 1902, Antonio Valvon, an Italian immigrant living in Manchester, patented a machine that produced waffle tubs. It saved his business.
While French patisseries have used shaped wafers in desserts for more than a century, you have Antonio to thank for the waffle cones we enjoy today.
2. The ice cream van - a global phenomenon
Recognisable by its flashy graphics, rounded roof and screen doors, the ice cream van as we know it is a British invention that's been exported to every continent.
While ice cream has been sold out of street carts and trucks for well over a century, the technology in most modern vans was invented in Crewe, Cheshire, by refrigeration engineer Bryan Whitby in 1962.
Bryan revolutionised the ice cream van by making the machines run directly from the engine, which meant the vans were far lighter and could be built in their now-iconic shape.
As the biggest exporter of mobile freezer vans to 60 countries, the Whitby Morrison van is what most of the world uses to sell ice cream. If you spot a van in Azerbaijan or Australia, chances are it probably began its life in Crewe.
The town also set a Guinness World Record for the longest ice cream van parade in 2018 - a whopping 84 vans!
3. Overnight ice
Ice pop, ices, ice lolly, lolly ice…
The name is certainly up for debate, but the origin is widely agreed. The story goes that the ice lolly was invented by Frank William Epperson, a California lemonade salesman - and it was an accident.
Epperson claimed that in 1905, when he was 11, he left a glass of water containing powdered lemonade and a mixing stick on his front porch overnight. The stick froze, and the first thing Epperson did in the morning was lick it - don't do this.
But with that lick, the ice lolly was born, and now serves as a perfect refresher on a hot summer's day.
4. Churn it out, Queen
If you've ever had a go at making ice cream at home, you may have been frustrated to find that you need an ice pick to get into it instead of a scoop.
Part of the reason for this is chemistry. You need an emulsifier like eggs and an antifreeze ingredient - usually salt - to stop the ice cream freezing completely.
But to get a truly smooth concoction, the mixture needs a lot of whisking, which can be difficult by hand.
So, when did it all begin? One of the first ice cream makers that worked similarly to modern automatic ones was invented by English entrepreneur Agnes Marshall in 1885. Dubbed the 'Queen of Ices' for her frozen desserts, Agnes was granted a patent for a machine that - while still hand-cranked - could supposedly freeze ice cream in five minutes and keep it smooth.
She was also the first person to suggest using liquid nitrogen to freeze ice cream, which some industrial machines still do today.
5. A sickening flavour
In some form or another, ice cream has existed since the 7th century AD.
But, according to one of the first known hand-written recipes, ambergris may once have been used to make it. This is a substance found in the digestive tract of sperm whales, and is famously used in perfumes and incense.
English noblewoman Lady Anne Franshawe documented the recipe in her 1665 cookery book. To make 'icy cream', she recommended using 'orange flower water or ambergreece', which would add a floral note.
Ambergris was also an emulsifier thanks to its thickness, though you probably wouldn't want it in your frozen treats today - tub or cone!
This article was written in June 2020 and updated in August 2026