I scream, you scream -- well, you know the rest.
People will have an excuse Sunday to dig into their favourite flavours as North America celebrates National Ice Cream Day.
We've got the scoop on all your biggest questions.
WHERE DID ICE CREAM COME FROM?
Our love for ice cream goes way, way back. Thousands of years ago, people around the world figured out that cold + sweet = a delicious combo.
Records show that some of history's most famous leaders, from Roman Emperor Nero to Alexander the Great. Even King Solomon was fond of "a snow-cooled drink at harvest time," .
Historians believe the ancient Chinese were the first to develop a cool, creamy treat that resembles what we enjoy today. In the 1500s, ice cream started to spread through Europe, though at first only aristocrats could afford it.
No one knows for sure when ice cream made its way to the U.S., but at least a few Founding Fathers were fans.
Thomas Jefferson wrote down , the first known ice cream recipe recorded by an American. And George Washington reportedly dished out US$200 in a single summer to get his frosty fix. In today's dollars, that's a lot of money.
DID PROHIBITION REALLY BOOST ICE CREAM SALES?
It's true. When Prohibition banned alcohol sales, Americans turned to ice cream as a fun alternative.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect, as new technologies made it easier than ever to manufacture and cool ice cream -- and send its popularity soaring.
Frosty ice cream was enjoyed by all types of people throughout the country. In fact, it was served to new immigrants on Ellis Island and even U.S. soldiers during the Second World War.
WHEN WAS NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY CREATED?
Thanks to U.S. President , National Ice Cream Day is legit.
In 1984, he signed a proclamation that declared July to be National Ice Cream Month. The third Sunday of that month, which this year falls on July 19, became officially known as National Ice Cream Day.
The proclamation -- , to be exact -- describes "a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over 90 percent of the people in the United States."
Although we can't vouch for his stats, it does sound pretty accurate. Right?
HOW MUCH ICE VCREAM DO AMERICANS CONSUME?
Today, the average American consumes more than 20 pounds of ice cream each year, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.
If you think that's a lot, multiply it by 329 million Americans.
WHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR FLAVOUR OF ICE CREAM?
From Neapolitan to chocolate chip cookie dough, there's no shortage of flavours.
That's not all. You can also get it nitrogen-blasted, hand-rolled, or charcoal-infused.
Ice cream can even be made without the help of cows. Biotech company Perfect Day that uses genetic engineering to recreate the proteins usually found in cow's milk.
Still, the top flavour in the U.S.? Plain old vanilla, according to the .
So, this weekend, don't think of your sweet tooth as a guilty pleasure, but as a patriotic duty.
