The name „Ice Cream“ has derived from the phrase "Iced Cream" that was similar to "Iced Tea". The name was later abbreviated to "ice cream" the name we know today.
The meaning of the term ice cream varies from one country to another. Terms like frozen custard, frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato and others are used to distinguish different varieties and styles.
Ice cream is a frozen dessert made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours.
Ice cream can be mass-produced and thus is widely available in developed parts of the world. It can be purchased in large cartons from supermarkets and grocery stores, in smaller quantities from ice cream shops, convenience stores and in individual servings from small carts or vans.
In Turkey and Australia, ice cream is sometimes sold to beach-goers from small powerboats equipped with chest freezers.
Some ice cream distributors sell ice cream products from traveling refrigerated vans or carts – in the US called "ice cream trucks", sometimes equipped with speakers playing children's music. Ice cream vans in the United Kingdom make a music box noise rather than actual music.
Ice cream can be called Ice Cream if containing the following composition:
- greater than 10% milkfat
- 9% to 12% milk solids-not-fat
- 12% to 16% sweeteners:
- 0.2& to 0.5% stabilisers and emulsifiers
- 55% to 64% water which comes from the milk or other ingredients