Was ice cream invented in Philadelphia? How about by the Emperor Nero, when he poured honey over snow? Did Marco Polo taste the first ices in China and bring recipes back to Italy? In this lively and entertaining book, the first to tell ice cream's full story, Jeri Quinzio traces the beloved confection from its earliest appearances in sixteenth-century Europe to the small towns of America-from kings' tables to kids' cones-and debunks some colorful myths along the way. She explains how ice cream is made, describes its social role, and connects historical events to its business and consumption.Of Sugar and Snowdescribes the origins of the ice cream sandwich, soda fountains, the ice cream soda, and ice cream sundaes and provides a fascinating array of recipes, from a seventeenth-century Italian lemon sorbet to a twentieth-century American strawberry mallobet. Included are such delicious milestones as the invention of Eskimo Pies, Popsicles, Dixie cups and the Good Humor man. A diverting yet serious work of history,Of Sugar and Snowtraces how this once elite status symbol became today's universally available and wildly popular treat.