The Surprising History of Ice Cream, from Ancient Rome to Fidel Castro

A TED-Ed video by Vivian Jiang, directed by Masayoshi Nakamura, traces the global history of ice cream. The earliest frozen desserts date to the 1st century in ancient Rome, Mughal India, and Tang Dynasty China, where ice was harvested from mountains or desert nights. The Arab sharbat, a cold drink of fruit, water, and rose petals, evolved into sorbet and spread from Persia to medieval Europe. Modern ice cream was invented by Antonio Latini, chef to the Neapolitan court, who published a recipe in 1694. The treat reached North America in the 19th century but remained costly—George Washington spent the equivalent of $6,600 on ice cream in one summer. Nancy Johnson revolutionized production by patenting the hand-cranked ice cream maker in Philadelphia in 1843. Technological advances in ice production and distribution later made ice cream affordable and widely available. The video also recounts a Cold War anecdote: in 1963, CIA agents allegedly tried to poison Fidel Castro by placing a pill in his daily post-lunch ice cream, but the plot failed and Castro continued his habit for years.