Origins of the Ice Cream Sundae

The ice cream sundae is typically comprised of a scoop of any ice cream and topped with a sauce or syrup.  In some cases other toppings are also included.

ice cream sundaeAccording the dictionary of Oxford English, the origin of the term is really obscure.  It is generally accepted was derived from the word Sunday and from the German name of Sonntag, which means Sunday.

Many stories of origins are considered to be its original source, and 3 of them are considered to be the most reliable stories.  Here they are...

The first states that the ice cream sundae originated in Evanston, Illinois. Laws were once considered to have prohibited to the selling of soda water on Sundays. This particular town was one of the earliest places to adapt that policy in the year of 1890. As an alternative to the soda water, local soda fountains began selling ice cream sodas without including the soda.  What is left behind is the ice cream and the chosen syrup. That ultimately became the recipe of what has become known as sundae ice cream.

Another story claims that the ice cream sundae originated in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. A certain soda fountain owner by the name of Ed Berners is said to be the one who invented it in 1881. One of his avid customers George Hallauer made a request that Berners serve him a dish of ice cream topped with a syrup commonly used for soda. Berner liked the dish right away and decided to put it in his menu, charging a nickel for each one that sold.

And, finally, the third story of origin can be traced back to Ithaca, New York. It was in the year 1893 that an inventor named Chester Platt prepared a dish of vanilla for a Reverend John Scott on a beautiful Sunday. He made a spiced up version of it and added candy cherry and cherry syrup. That particular reverend, named the dish after the day of Sunday.

Joanna Maligaya
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