To this day, the history of ice cream remains a mystery. However, many say that the first ice cream is credited to Emperor Nero of Rome. It was a mixture of snow, nectar, fruit pulp, and honey. Others proclaim that Marco Polo, a 13th century adventurer, brought ice cream to Europe from the Far East. However, regardless of where it came from, today's average American consumes 23.2 quarts of ice cream per year, with the first ice cream parlor in America opening in 1776 in New York City.

So, which countries like ice cream the most? The United States, New Zealand, Denmark, and Australia top the list. The favorite flavor is the classic vanilla. Then comes chocolate, strawberry, neapolitan, and chocolate chip.

How do these line up with your own list of favorites?

The most popular topping for ice cream ---- chocolate syrup. Who would of thought ; )

Around 13% of men and 8% of women will admit to licking the bowl clean after eating ice cream.

Biggest ice cream sundae - 12 ft tall! This one was made with 4,667 gallons of ice cream in California in 1985.

The average single-scoop ice cream cone takes 50 licks to finish. Try it out with the following recipe.

Quick Strawberry Parfait:

Ingredients

1 quart of strawberry ice cream
1 pint of whipped cream

Instructions

Mix the strawberry ice cream with the whipped cream at serving time. Serve in a glass of your choice and top with whipped cream, with a strawberry on top. (Feel free to top your parfait with other fruits as well.)

This recipe will fill eight glasses.

For other parfait flavors, simply use a different flavored ice cream.