How did ancient civilizations make ice cream? - Vivian Jiang

Trace the history of ice cream, from the first accounts of cold desserts in the 1st century to the cream-based treat we know today.
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Ice cream has a unique role in our world’s history, culture, and cravings. The first accounts of cold desserts date back to the first century, in civilizations including ancient Rome, Mughal India, and Tang Dynasty China. Yet the cream-based delicacy we know today made a much later debut. So, how did the delicious sweet treat come to be? Vivian Jiang shares the scoop on the history of ice cream.
Lesson by Vivian Jiang, directed by Masayoshi Nakamura, Good General.
Music and sound design by Zak Engel.
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, Javid Gozalov, Kyanta Yap, Rebecca Reineke, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Yvette Mocete, Cyrus Garay, Samuel Barbas, LadyGeek, Marin Kovachev, Penelope Misquitta, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti, Hoai Nam Tran, Kack-Kyun Kim, Michael Braun-Boghos, zjweele13, Anna-Pitschna Kunz and Edla Paniguel.

[@ec.__.]

I'm a Japanese student and learning English.TED-Ed helps me gain my listening skill.I will study a lot to be a great English speaker:)

[@FraudGuruExpert.]

good luck to us, also learning nihongo.

[@deoae9259]

good luck! It can be difficult to learn another language, but you must never give up! And don't be scared of making mistakes, because we're all learning 😊

[@sametcalsknn]

I absolutely agree with you. This kind of full of information videos with interesting topics are like amazing chance to take advantage of.

[@katherineknapp4370]

So far, so good. 😊

[@8bit-ld2mk]

Good luck I’ve been speaking English my entire life it’s my only language and I still mess up on words and don’t get me started on grammar and spelling.😅

[@Rapglaze]

"In Ice Cream we trust" ~Charles Baxter

[@honor9lite1337]

Agrre

[@ramonsanchez9954]

Amen to that

[@firaswijayakoi]

"In Donkeys we thrust" ~Balls Buster

[@VinixRonaldoGOAT]

@@firaswijayakoi haha lol

[@ZR3009]

Amen

[@toonwachi600]

_"Our love for ice cream will never thaw."_ As an ice cream lover, I love this quote 😇♥️🍨

[@Mbob-yl8ud]

@toonwachi600 Would you eat ice cream if it were snowing outside?

[@underarmbowlingincidentof1981]

0:40 these animations are so entertaining did this video NEED Castro T-posing while entering the ice cream wormhole of psychidelic transcendance? no. is it awesome? yeah!!

[@apcolleen]

Do they need to make Ireland bigger on the map ? Yeah!! 3:26

[@barozzi_]

They screamed, and screamed, and all screamed for ice cream:)

[@honor9lite1337]

Agree

[@doesntmatter7560]

*creamed

[@bahutbharatiya3946]

I scrum, you scrum, we all scrum for ice scrum

[@fallenangelofoz8726]

I scream, you scream, we all scream for our collective descent into madness...and ice cream.

[@firenzarfrenzy4985]

"I scream, you scream, we all scream... In the terrible house fire at the family reunion" - Chuckles the clown

[@awesomehpt8938]

Antonio Latini should get the Nobel prize.

[@vooteimer1234]

I know because there is no war now that ice cweam exists

[@mecahhannah]

Agreed

[@CHlNAZI]

which one? Peace prize😂?

[@davidralte5629]

All😅​@@CHlNAZI

[@MiguelPerez-zx2wg]

​@vooteimer1234 Actually there's was a war for ice cream back in Scotland in the 80s.

[@chip_justchip]

was eating ice cream when i saw the notification, are yall spies?

[@ShubhGG12]

if this video was by michael (vsauce), then probably yeah

[@noahboat580]

Reported for misinformation: Google spy's on us not TED ED

[@noahboat580]

This is a lie: Google is the one spying on us not TED Ed

[@noahboat580]

I would mention Google spying on us but they won't let me comment

[@jogennotsuki]

@@noahboat580 And yet here you are, mentioning Google spying on you...

[@PhucThinh1505]

As a video editor, I admire the ones who made this video possible and so vivid!

[@Jon-Rimmer]

I love this art style. Could easily watch a whole movie in an updated version of this video.

[@meldagoknel5510]

Sherbet was the mother of Sorbet! It was fresh fruit smashed with honey and ice made into a slush. A popular desert of the Ottoman Empire. They bringing ice from Uludag mountains wrapped in special bags made from goat skin. It was introduced to Europe when Ottomans first started their political and diplomatic relations with France mid 17 th century. And one should also include the popsicle and coating the ice cream with chocolate that it doesn’t melt immediately .

[@chevchevir]

Aah so that's it cause I was a bit confused why they mentioned sorbet but not sherbet

[@Charlie-imagirl]

For the last 47 years I've been researching this, thank you for answering my questions.

[@unicornmaster1263]

I'm sure with one Google Search you could have found it lol

[@KindQueen1004]

47 years thinking about ice cream? Lol 😅

[@littledudefromacrossthestr5755]

​@@unicornmaster1263fr 💀

[@thesciemathist6035]

@@unicornmaster1263 You casually destroying the guy's whole career.

[@Charlie-imagirl]

@@unicornmaster1263 What's google? Never heard of it.

[@parkmin7377]

I like the way that the animation explained everything so anyone can understand without knowing much english

[@camerongrow6426]

4:25 I'm sorry what mysteries does Ice Cream have? What is my Rocky Road hiding from me?

[@EcomCarl]

Incredible to see how ice cream has evolved from a luxury for the elite to a beloved treat worldwide! The intersection of technology and culinary art has not only made ice cream more accessible but also a canvas for endless innovation and creativity. 🍦

[@LawatheMEid]

There is old Turkish icecream which was put in jars and rammed continually with wooden thick sticks, it is famous in Damascus.

[@lit-e4q]

Türk dondurmasının ünlü olmasının asıl sebebi çabuk erimez. Sert ve kalitelidir. Tadını çıkarın !💓

[@LawatheMEid]

@@lit-e4q English please, or Arabic.

[@lumisherbert5682]

@@LawatheMEid Translation: (LOOSE, and I have no idea if it's right, since it was automatic) The main reason why Turkish ice cream is famous is that it does not melt quickly. It is hard and high quality. Enjoy!

[@hamilton9076]

​@@LawatheMEidno Arabic pls

[@TheeDeeM]

The animation for this was so cute. Idk why but it had me giggling all the way through. Kudos to the animators.

[@HawkknightXC88]

I learned so much history from this channel. Like Historical Food how it's made and how civilizations made their own versions of Food like Ice Cream and etc. You guys are Amazing with Historical Facts and History.

[@fallenangelofoz8726]

My grandpa grew up in Venice Beach, CA and his first job was working at an ice cream parlor on the Santa Monica pier. He claimed that his boss, the owner, was the guy who invented the ice cream cone at the 1893 World's Fair. Can't say for sure if that was true or not, but it's a cool family story.

[@NjAutumn14]

Now, I'm craving ice cream... Chocolate ice cream

[@unicornmaster1263]

Same

[@victor9]

"Soft serve" ice cream is superior in every way, shape, texture, and form! 🍦

[@Lucc5822]

You dare start a war in the comment section?! So be it.

[@Becky_Cooling]

Will it soft serve?

[@TEDEd]

Don't mind us, we're just here for the comments 🍿👀

[@ADoodler1]

Someone make the drama already

[@kindlyevilbgm]

OBJECTION! You don’t get nearly as many flavors with soft serve, making hard ice cream superior!

[@agas-safa5457]

I would've thought faloodeh would garner a mention saying that the Persian dessert dates back centuries and is seen as one of the first frozen desserts

[@mewsingsbynatk]

Perfect video for the summer. ☀️🍦🍨

[@sanity66zetpe58]

From the earliest times we have always enjoyed the fresh respite that ice cream can give us from the heat, it is beautiful we have exeperienced the same taste for millenia.

[@RadOnion48]

Best and tastiest lesson ever I love Ted Ed and ice cream

[@MrSuperpiff4]

This video brought me joy

[@ru_hehe]

Bro the animation is so good?!

[@ElusiveMoth5]

Seeing this video in my feed while eating ice cream is a next level of coincidence.

[@chip_justchip]

SAME

[@giladkay3761]

Seeing this in my feed while not eating ice cream is a next level of depression

[@Steve-kk7wj]

Although health concerns due to ice cream are on the rise, I feel that having this icy treat once in a while is no big deal, especially when it's hard to eat with a canker sore in your mouth.

[@dilnozaibaydullayeva5195]

Our love for ice cream will never thaw. > I love this quote😊

[@Abbood_1]

I always wondered for a long time how they used to freeze ice cream before the invention of the refrigerator! I hope to get some convincing answers from this video

[@Hallows4]

Dolley Madison was also famous for serving ice cream at the White House parties she hosted.

[@thenovicenovelist]

Either I read it in a book or heard it from Tasting History, but supposedly Andrew Jackson's people used ice cream and some type of alcohol to lure people out of the White House after Jackson's inauguration because they made a mess in the place.

[@claudioestevez1028]

I like how they just casually discussed an international assassination attempt.

[@ThePickledsoul]

I swear, your animators are something else. Never the same animation. I like it.

[@dsm1986]

Good job ted ed!

[@escapewith_me]

Delightful animation and sound

[@gustavocarvalholoboleite3526]

Hey Ted -ed sugestion make a video about the Los Angeles ritos of 1992

[@525Lines]

Soda was sold in drug stores as a kind of artificial mineral water. Taste the pop without the syrup and you'll taste what mineral water tastes like. Sweet flavorings were added as was carbonation since some mineral springs produced sparkling mineral water.

[@quentindonahue9042]

I was actually hoping you guys would do a video on the history of ice cream

[@Nathan08099]

Can you please make a video about "how many years would it take for a human being to learn everything there is to know". Thank you in advance

[@PowerOfAIandMotivation]

Great video, thank you!

[@Deluluou]

I have a question on the subject: how did they have ice on the 1800s in there was no electricity to sustain a refrigerator and therefore make an ice cream? Also if they shipped ice why it didn't melt on the way??🤔

[@nou-rt9sw]

you pack it in straw! it serves as a good insulator.

[@casterivo]

​@@nou-rt9sw well insulators are for heat not missing heat aka cold so yeah answer wrong the real answer they used much much more liquid nitrogen more than we do today which is why ice cream was expensive they had to use much more liquid nitrogen way more liquid nitrogen to keep it cold

[@thituannhanguyen2056]

Why does the third freezer looks so good😊

[@koyeldas9950]

Please make more videos about food history ❤

[@itz_mm_sisterz6770]

No matter how long it’s been eaten for, ice cream will always be a delicious frozen sweet treat!

[@corradofearless1860]

From the cradle of civilization, to Dutch ice cream and of course with the Turkish sales style.

[@ChrisSparks-zp8ue]

One think is comments can agree on is that most of watch some like this know that it’s well above our knowledge

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Favourite topic without a bias

[@أبوهشام-م2ر]

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من علم لا ينفع ، و من قلب لا يخشع ، و من نفس لا تشبع ، و من دعوة لا يستجاب لها . رواه مسلم

[@Dara-wk5ty]

My parents only had a refrigerator around the 80's Then again it was Poland behind the Iron curtain For most of their childhood they had to boil meat into a liquid to preserve it

[@huskerdust211]

0:29 imagine having an assassin being sent against you because you eat too much ice cream

[@alikurtulan6621]

You must taste ice cream in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye 🇹🇷

[@joeyp1927]

It's funny that she only mentions the Tang dynasty (618=907 AD) in passing, when it produced arguably the first concoction, sushan, that could be considered ice cream. Made with cow or goat milk, ice, honey, and sometimes flavored with camphor (the 'vanilla' of the day), it was a milky-creamy-icy-sweet desert. Sounds pretty much like ice cream to me. Other KZbinrs, including a history buff from Britain, have argued that this Tang confection was the first ice cream. But Vivian Jiang, being Chinese, was probably afraid of seeming partial if she even implied that her ancestors might have played a bigger role than others in creating this icy-cold treat.

[@iftekhar77]

ted ed are beautifully crafted

[@mestre12]

I love this food history videos.

[@BrandokMeistro]

Why would I ever need to know this information, yet I’m still watching this.

[@shaylah2725]

Ice cream is my favorite pastime. yall should see my freezer. I appreciate this ❤

[@robertobradford3968]

Just a quick observation about the video. The tub that Fidel Castro is eating out of says "Helado" on the side. That wouldn't've been the case because he was Cuban. The Spanish word for ice cream varies depending on the country. Helado is what ice cream is called in Mexico and some parts of Central America. Cubans call it mantecado. It is also called nieve and crema in other places.

[@AlejanderLong]

Yesterday, I made homemade ice cream, and it took me hours. I ate it, and now I'm sick.🤒🤧 The ice cream powder for making ice cream was a gift from my mom, because the day before yesterday was my birthday.🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

[@AlejanderLong]

IT's not just hours,It's 5 hours.

[@halogen92r-]

Unrelated But how did Castro do it? It's amazing

[@joelwesleychan5639]

The hot Caribbean weather may have been a determining factor haha, but I can’t say I’ve ever experienced it myself. Though, I do remember being 6 and traveling with my mother to southern China to visit relatives. In the middle of summer, no less! Between the heat and the mosquitoes, all I wanted to do was swim or eat cold treats. 🍧🍨🍦

[@Isleepnodraw]

Mm..ice cream. Thanks for the video! Always entertaining, and helps me study.

[@sabrasabranise3335]

I don’t like ice cream but it was still interesting to watch and learn !

[@mooncake8254]

Ice cream used to be soo luxurious. That it's considered eating gold leaf. Because of ice and vanilla.

[@Echo81Rumple83]

Just in time for the summer, too! Also, Castro looks way too uncomfortably adorable in this rendition of his eating ice cream. (He's still a mad lad for making the CIA look like the fools that they are, however.)

[@katherineknapp4370]

"I scream you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream "

[@frayansertzrave]

I really love ice cream! ❤🍦 Here in the Philippines, we call it "Sorbetes" (sherbet in english as said to this video). It was influenced during American colonization here and that's how a lot of us liked the street style ice cream sold by our vendors here. Each flavors were made in different flavorings like chocolate, mango, coconut, peanut, quezo (cheese), and strawberry.

[@williammoore27]

Ice cream should just include the frozen flavors in the spring & summer like chocolate, vanilla, watermelon & so much more!🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞😋😋😋😋😋😋

[@Komorebi007]

As a Foodie and knowledge craving person, I❤You TED-ed and team . Thank you for curing my hunger pangs😁🍜🤞🏻

[@fmpinto]

I tought old roman icecream recipes had eggs in It.

[@phucnguyenminh2421]

I love ice cream. This helps me know well about the thing i like

[@heatherrobinson1097]

i loved watching this as a kid, still do now

[@thituannhanguyen2056]

Are you four days old?

[@DemonetisedZone]

shout out to Glasgow👍

[@Passion84GodAlways]

¡¡¡Helado!!! 🍨🍦🍧

[@thatomofolo452]

Speechless 😍

[@jaineilsart1528]

Your words don't intimidate me! I conquered them long, long ago. Oh, it's time to eat icecream. 🤩

[@Brydav_Massbear]

_Sweet!_ Ice Cream is indeed my favorite dessert!

[@OHPIKACHUKACHU]

WOW I LOVE ICE CREAM, SO I LOVE THIS VIDEO

[@lenhobbies6797]

"our love for Ice Cream will never thaw" very well said😋🍦🍧🍨

[@Yas-gs8cm]

Okay so Persians invented Ice Cream too... I'm a lil' bit proud.

[@raginggerman5377]

Why? Did you invent it yourself?

[@Yas-gs8cm]

@@raginggerman5377 No. I work in software not food industry. For that matter: It's called "being a part of something." Head to a church this Sunday, they explain it better there. Seems you lack a healthy dose of it bruh.

[@AnisSyazana]

Chewing shaved ice right now, and I'm pretty sure we all love every different kind of ice there is hahah 😊 But nothing beats ice-cream 🥰

[@kalebgonzales4009]

*“Kulfi is basically like icecream, and it’s a very popular frozen dessert in Pakistan. You know Saturdays are my cheat days!”*

[@ThePrimordialAbyss]

The music at 2x speed going crazy

[@oldcowbb]

ice cream craving is so intense, no other craving can even compare

[@Bookperson1000]

"Forget art. We trust in ice cream." - Charles Baxter

[@icyxxxxx]

It’s Impossible to hate ice cream

[@HoneyCJNN]

0:39 Bro was able to survive to continue his fever dream on some bingchilling 🤣🤣💀💀

[@cosmiccake791]

Was eating ice cream when I saw this lol😂

[@171QA]

Eating ice cream while watching this video was a great combo. :D

[@mahbubeciftci9422]

It would be nice if the trending Maraş ice cream in Turkey was also mentioned in the 'history of ice cream.' Who can forget this amazing flavor?

[@OneaeMighty]

Wonderful Icecream this is the most important video ever made.

[@mirkomilxudoynazarov3959]

Pronunciation of "Sharbat " in English is funny 😅. It means sweet drink

[@azma11]

Watching this because of James Acaster on Mastermind.

[@Kawaii-27]

So informative video thank you TED Ed❤

[@sandermez3856]

back in my teen years, I used to work for the ice king. Wed haul sawdust to put on the ice carts. it would act as insulation keeping the ice cold!

[@azraieruslim]

So ice cream was invented in the desert? Maybe thats why we call it dessert.

[@hechss]

Inconditional love for non-dairy ice cream 🍦 ❤ and your animations

[@graelonsalvador2248]

Ted ed holds all the answers to questions we thought about in the shower

[@PramkLuna]

No "I scream, ice cream" pun?

[@rsqualo]

Ice Cream is humanity at its best. 🍦🍧🍨

[@dilnozaibaydullayeva5195]

Super😊

[@Lamiacrudesco]

You guysss have no idea!!!!!!! I always wanted to know thisss!!! 😅