One of the classic summertime desserts is ice cream. Often pictured on a cone being eaten at a carnival or a retro diner, this dessert has captivated the United States and some nations abroad, too. There are variants such as hard serve and soft serve ice cream, not to mention gelato, sherbet, frozen yogurt, and more, plus their utensils, such as gelato spoons, ice cream cups, and other dessert supplies. These frozen treats can appeal to nearly anyone, and even organic and gluten free versions exist for those with dietary restrictions or personal ethic about food and its origins. Whether with gelato spoons, waffle cones, or anything in between, ice cream is a cold treat for anyone.
Who Eats Ice Cream?
Ice cream stands as a popular dessert ever since its invention decades ago, and plenty of Americans eat it every year. In fact, an average American may eat this treat around 28.5 times every year, and similarly, an NDP Group survey showed that in any two-week period, ice cream will be eaten by 40% of the American population. Production is keeping pace with demand; every year in the United States, 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream and related desserts will be made. To make all this, around 9% of all milk produced by American dairy farms will go toward ice cream. What kinds of frozen treats are out there?
Varieties of Frozen Treats
Hard serve ice cream is what most people consider “regular” ice cream, and it had air churned into it and is stored, and served at, a lower temperature than “soft serve” ice cream, which has more air and is slightly warmer. Both of these ice creams can be served either on classic, edible waffle cones, or in paper cups with plastic spoons for tidiness, and in the cup, consumers can mix ice cream flavors and condiments at will. Cones are often messier even if the ice cream scoops do not fall off, but they can be visual treats and are popular subjects of Pinterest and Instagram photos, among other photo sharing mediums.
Gelato is a variety of ice cream that, according to My Mo Mochi, is made with whole milk instead of cream, and so the milkfat content is lower. Gelato also lacks eggs, and during mixing, very little air gets in, resulting in a smooth, creamy and thick texture. This means that gelato is very rarely served in cones, and instead usually is served with supplies such as paper cups and gelato spoons. Gelato may or may not have condiments placed on it like regular ice cream does.
Other frozen treats include frozen yogurt, which has ice cream’s ingredients but with much less fat and has yogurt mixed in, and sherbet is based on fruit juice, eggs, cream or milk, and sometimes gelatin. It should have no more than 1-3% milkfat; more, and it becomes regular ice cream, and less, it is considered water ice.
Any ice cream shop big or small, amateur or professional, will need supplies for its frozen treats. Paper cups are essential for gelato and sherbet, for example, and gelato spoons and plastic straws may be important, too. For regular ice cream, cups are useful, as are edible waffle cones for customers who like a traditional, fun look to their dessert. The seller will also need ice cream machines and keep them in good working order. Daily cleaning will be important, which includes removing leftover ice cream, taking the machine apart, and washing the pieces before reassembling them. The owner’s manual can help a user with a particular model.
