10 Delicious Books About the History of Ice Cream

Starting in ancient China and moving through history to modern day Tokyo, Laura B. Weiss tells the entire history of the world’s favorite frozen treat. From Italian gelato to Indian kulfi, this book tells of the many iterations of ice cream throughout time and across the world.

Populated with a quirky cast of characters including donkeys, first ladies, and English kings, and filled with hilarious and fascinating anecdotes, this book is an immensely interesting journey through the history of ice cream. 

Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s is committed to three pillars: making the best ice cream, supporting progressive causes, and sharing the company’s success with all who have a stake in it, including employees, suppliers, distributors, and customers.

This book gives the inside scoop (get it?) into the controversial purchase of Ben & Jerry’s by the giant Unilever and how the company maneuvered to still achieve their missions under that umbrella.

Never fear, Jeri Quinzio is here to answer all of your ice cream related questions. She explores where ice cream originated and how it spread around the world, the cultural impact and role of ice cream, and how historical events have affected ice cream business and consumption.

Along the way, she also gives insight into how ice cream is made, with recipes dating back to the 17th century!

Discover how ice cream went from an elite treat to the everyman’s dessert. 

In this book, Anne Cooper Funderburg traces the history of ice cream in America. She discusses the history and significance of American ice cream brands such as Dairy Queen, Good Humor, Eskimo Pie, Ben and Jerry's, Baskin-Robbins, and Haagen-Dazs. 

Across the pond, food historian Ivan Day tells the story of ice cream’s history in Britain. He tracks how ice cream moved from king’s tables to workers hands, and how it has made fortunes for immigrants and industrialists alike.

This book includes exclusive archival photographs and recipes.

Gifford's Ice Cream and Candy Company was a staple of Washington DC for those living in the capital and the myriad of visitors for over 70 years. Behind the scenes, the happy business was riddled with scandals, from a crushing bankruptcy to two million dollars of missing cash to a tragic suicide.

Here, an heir of the Gifford family gives an inside account of the dark influences and betrayals that had plagued the company since its humble beginnings.

Anyone in the mood for Fudgie the Whale?

This is the remarkable true story of how an innocent, young Greek immigrant Tom Carvel became the “father of franchising.”

The Carvel brand began when Tom, aged 26, borrowed money from his future wife to sell ice cream from a truck. His hardworking and entrepreneurial spirit grew the company to where it is today: over 500 franchises in the US and abroad and one of the most beloved names in the ice cream industry.

Mixing food history, personal stories, and recipes, Marilyn Powell takes readers on a sweet and creamy journey into all things ice cream. Learn the origins and histories of the sundae, ice cream soda, Baked Alaska, ice cream bombes, and more! 

Discover the history of Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlours, an iconic ice cream restaurant chain in the Pacific Northwest.

Bob Farrell and Ken McCarthy opened the first Farrell’s in 1963, and the restaurant quickly became known for its ice cream sundaes and birthday celebrations. With a turn-of-the-20th-century theme complete with marble-topped soda fountains, Tiffany lamps, and waiters dressed in colorful vests and skimmer hats, Farrell’s was the place to be. 

We can’t celebrate ice cream without mentioning one of the most iconic places where it was eaten.

In this book, Anne Cooper Funderburg traces the history of the soda fountain in America, from the Great Depression to the decline of Main Street and the rise of Suburbia. She explores how the popular institution was a cornerstone of American youth culture and how it reflected changing times and trends in American society.