Ice cream (derived from earlier iced cream or cream ice) is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from dairy milk or cream, or soy, cashew, coconut or almond milk, and is flavored with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and any spice, such as cocoa or vanilla. Colorings are usually added, in addition to stabilizers. The mixture is stirred to incorporate air spaces and cooled below the freezing point of water to prevent detectable ice crystals from forming. The result is a smooth, semi-solid foam that is solid at very low temperatures (below 2 °C or 35 °F). It becomes more malleable as its temperature increases. Being this subject, a matter of concern, Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System wish our readers to know about it.
Ice cream meaning
The meaning of the name “ice cream” varies from one country to another. Terms such as “frozen custard,” “frozen yogurt,” “sorbet,” “gelato,” and others are used to distinguish different varieties and styles. In some countries, such as the United States, “ice cream” applies only to a specific variety, and most governments regulate the commercial use of the various terms according to the relative quantities of the main ingredients, notably the amount of cream.
Products that do not meet the criteria to be called ice cream are sometimes labeled “frozen dessert” instead. In other countries, such as Italy and Argentina, one word is used for all variants. Analogs made from dairy alternatives, such as goat’s or sheep’s milk, or milk substitutes (e.g., soy milk or tofu), are available for those who are lactose intolerant, allergic to dairy protein, or vegan.
A source of energy
Although the nutritional content varies among brands and types, in general, it is an excellent source of energy. Ice cream is rich in carbohydrate, with about 15 grams in a one-half-cup serving. A serving also contains about 7 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein, making it an energy-dense food.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one-half cup of vanilla ice cream provides 137 kilocalories of energy, about twice the amount in one-half cup of whole milk. Ice cream is a good choice when you need energy or if you are pursuing a program to gain weight.
A good source of minerals
Ice cream is also a dietary source of two important minerals. It is particularly rich in calcium and phosphorus, with about 10 percent of the adult recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, of these minerals in a single, one-half-cup serving. Both calcium and phosphorus promote strong, healthy bones.
In fact, consuming plenty of calcium, but not phosphorus, wouldn’t do your bones much good. While good amounts of these nutrients don’t make ice cream a health food, you can consider them a modest perk when you do indulge.
Cone
Mrs. Marshall’s Cookery Book, published in 1888, endorsed serving ice cream in cones, but the idea predated that. Agnes Marshall was a celebrated cookery writer of her day and helped to popularise ice cream. She patented and manufactured an ice cream maker and was the first person to suggest using liquefied gases to freeze ice cream after seeing a demonstration at the Royal Institution.
Reliable evidence proves that ice cream cones were served in the 19th century, and their popularity increased greatly during the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. According to legend, an ice cream vendor at the fair ran out of cardboard dishes. The vendor at the Syrian waffle booth next door, unsuccessful in the intense heat, offered to make cones by rolling up his waffles. The new product sold well and was widely copied by other vendors.
Is it good for you?
Ice cream is a high-fat food since it must contain greater than 10 percent milk fat to be designated, with some products having as much as 16 percent, according to the University of Guelph. Milk fat is largely cholesterol, a saturated fat.
When your blood cholesterol level is too high, it can build up as plaque, a fatty deposit in your arteries that interferes with blood flow and raises your risk of heart disease and stroke. Ice cream is also high in sugar, which makes up the majority of its carbohydrate content.
Consumption of too much sugar may contribute to health problems such as:
- Weight gain
- Cavities
- Diabetes
- Heart attack
- Bloating
- Indigestion
- Kidney problem
- Fat in the belly
- Cancer
- Irritation of eyes
- Sore throat
- Allergic reactions
- Addiction
- Sluggishness
To lower your risk for high cholesterol and sugar-related problems, consume ice cream in moderation or choose a low-fat, low-sugar ice cream substitute.
Lactose
Ice cream may cause problems for certain people because it is dairy-based and contains lactose, a milk sugar. These individuals, referred to as lactose-intolerant, are deficient in lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, and may experience digestive upset if they consume ice cream. According to PubMed Health, about 30 million Americans are lactose-intolerant. If you are lactose-intolerant, taking a lactase supplement when consuming ice cream may alleviate this problem, or you can replace ice cream with a similar frozen product made with soy milk or another dairy substitute.
List of ice cream, frozen desserts, and snacks
- Ais kacang: a dessert in Malaysia and Singapore made from shaved ice, syrup, and boiled red bean and topped with evaporated milk. Sometimes, other small ingredients like raspberries and durians are added in, too.
- Booza: an elastic, sticky, high-level melt resistant ice cream.
- Dondurma: Turkish ice cream, made of salep and mastic resin
- Frozen custard: at least 10% milk fat and at least 1.4% egg yolk and much less air beaten into it, similar to Gelato, fairly rare. Known in Italy as Semifreddo.
- Frozen yogurt: made with yogurt instead of milk or cream, it has a tart flavor and lowers fat content.
- Gelato: an Italian frozen dessert having a lower milk fat content than ice cream.
- Halo-halo: a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold in a tall glass or bowl.
- Ice milk: less than 10% milk fat and lower sweetening content, once marketed as “ice milk” but now sold as low-fat ice cream in the United States.
- Ice pop or ice lolly: frozen fruit puree, fruit juice, or flavored sugar water on a stick or in a flexible plastic sleeve.
- Kulfi: believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent during Mughal India.
- Maple toffee: Also known as maple taffy. A popular springtime treat in maple-growing areas is maple toffee, where maple syrup boiled to a concentrated state is poured over fresh snow congealing in a toffee-like mass, and then eaten from a wooden stick used to pick it up from the snow.
- Mellorine: non-dairy, with vegetable fat substituted for milk fat
- Parevine: Kosher non-dairy frozen dessert established in 1969 in New York
- Patbingsu – A popular Korean shaved ice dessert commonly served with sweet toppings such as fruit, red bean, or sweetened condensed milk.
- Pop up ice cream
- Sherbet: 1–2% milk fat and sweeter than ice cream.
- Sorbet: fruit puree with no dairy products
- Snow cones, made from balls of crushed ice topped with flavored syrup served in a paper cone, are consumed in many parts of the world. The most common places to find snow cones in the United States are at amusement parks.
List of brands
This is a list of notable ice cream brands. Ice cream is a frozen dessert, usually made from dairy products such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavors. However, not all frozen desserts can be called ice cream.
- Abbott’s Frozen Custard (US)
- Amul (India)
- Australian Homemade (Netherlands)
- Bambino (Poland)
- Baskin-Robbins (US)
- Ben & Jerry’s (US)
- Berthillon (France)
- Blue Bell (US)
- Blue Bunny (US)
- Bonnie Doon (US, defunct)
- Braum’s (US)
- Bresler’s (US, defunct)
- Breyers (US)
- Bubbies (US)
- Cargills Magic (Sri Lanka)
- Carvel (US)
- Casper’s (US)
- Chapman’s (Canada)
- Choctál (US)
- Cold Stone Creamery (US)
- Colonial (US)
- Cows Creamery (Canada)
- Creambell (India)
- Dairy Queen (US)
- Dickie Dee (Canada, defunct)
- Diplom-Is (Norway)
- Dippin’ Dots (US)
- D’Onofrio (Peru)
- Double Rainbow (US)
- Dreyer’s (US)
- Edy’s (US)
- Elephant House (Sri Lanka)
- Eskimo (Nicaragua)
- Fan Milk (Ghana)
- Fenocchio (France)
- Fieldbrook Farms (US)
- Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers (US)
- Friendly’s (US)
- Frikom (Serbia)
- GB Glace (Sweden)
- Gelato Italia (UK)
- Glacio (Belgium)
- Golden North (Australia)
- Good Humor (US)
- Graeter’s (US)
- Grido Helado (Argentina)
- Häagen-Dazs (US)
- Halo Top (US)
- Handel’s Homemade (US)
- HB (Ireland)
- Hennig-Olsen Iskremfabrikk (Norway)
- Herrell’s (US)
- Hershey Creamery Company (US)
- Hertog (Netherlands)
- Hjem-IS (Denmark)
- Ideal (India)
- Ingman (Finland)
- It’s-It (US)
- J.P. Licks (US)
- Jack and Jill Ice Cream (US)
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (US)
- Joe Delucci’s (UK)
- KaleidoScoops (US)
- Kawartha Dairy Company (Canada)
- Karnataka Milk Federation (India)
- Kelly’s of Cornwall (UK)
- Kibon (Brazil)
- Klondike (US)
- Kowloon Dairy (Hong Kong)
- Kwality Wall’s (India)
- Kyl21 (Germany)
- Langnese (Germany)
- Laura Secord (Canada)
- Ledo (Croatia)
- Lick Me I’m Delicious (UK)
- The Licktators (UK)
- Lovin’ Scoopful (US)
- Mado (Turkey)
- Magnolia (Philippines)
- Magnum (Australia)
- Marble Slab Creamery (US)
- Mauds (Ireland)
- Maxibon (Belgium)
- Mayfield Dairy (US)
- Maypole (Canada)
- Milko (Sweden)
- Míša (Czech Republic)
- Morelli’s (UK)
- Mother Dairy (India)
- Mövenpick (Switzerland)
- Mr. Green Tea (US)
- Murphys (Ireland)
- Natural (India)
- Neilson Dairy (Canada)
- Nestlé (Switzerland)
- New Zealand Natural (New Zealand)
- Nobó (Ireland)
- OMORÉ (Pakistan)
- Paddle Pop (Australia)
- Perry’s (US)
- Peters (Australia)
- Pierre’s (US)
- Polar (Malaysia)
- Polar (Bangladesh)
- Purity (US)
- Salt & Straw (US)
- Schwan’s (US & Canada)
- Sealtest (US)
- Selecta (Philippines)
- Snugburys (UK)
- Solero (UK, Netherlands)
- Speelman’s (US, defunct)
- Strauss (Israel)
- Streets (Australia)
- Stroh’s (US)
- Talenti (US)
- Tillamook (US)
- Tip Top (New Zealand)
- Thrifty (US)
- Turkey Hill (US)
- Tio Rico (Venezuela)
- United Dairy Farmers (US)
- Vadilal (India)
- Valio (Finland)
- Wall’s (UK)
- Western Family (US)
- Whitey’s (US)
- Yarnell (US)
- Ysco (Belgium)
Conclusion
From the above, it’s evident that everybody likes Ice Cream, mostly children, but the people who are already suffering from certain diseases must be avoided or may eat healthy ice cream. Please consider that “Health is wealth“, too much of anything is dangerous, anything should be consumed in moderate quantity and things, hazardous for health, should be avoided.
Nice, detailed, and healthy article… Wishes
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your valuable comments. If you have a desire to read about health issues, please look for your need at http://siddhaspirituality.com. In case, you wish to read about the choice of your subject, please let me know so that I can make it available for you.
Once again thanks and have a nice day!!!
Nivrutti Khirolkar
Siddha Spirituality For Health
Good
Dear Shradha,
I thank you for your valuable comment. I hope, you liked the post ‘Is ice cream good for health’.
In case, you have a desire to read an article about health issues, please read at http://siddhaspirituality.com. You may also suggest any topic of your choice so that I can make it available for you.
Once again thanks and best regards!
Nivrutti Khirolkar
Siddha Spirituality For Health
Thanks for letting me know the facts about IC.