Everyone loves ice cream, particularly in the United States. From ice cream containers to ice cream flavors, the ice cream industry is nothing if not prosperous. In fact, every two weeks nearly half of all Americans (around 40%) will eat some type of ice cream at least once. Over the course of one calendar year, the average person in the United States eats ice cream nearly thirty times, be it at an ice cream parlor or out of take home ice cream containers. Ice cream containers provide an easy way to get your ice cream fix, as they can be purchased at nearly every store that sells food, including many gas stations and corner stores. Individual ice cream cups are another great way to enjoy ice cream and are particularly suited to big events, such as a birthday party or a picnic.
Aside from ice cream parlors and ice cream containers, there are other common supplies that are essential to the consumption of ice cream. Spoons, for example, are necessary to eat ice cream. You could try eating it with a fork, but it would not be nearly as simple or enjoyable. Ice cream spoons are often offered at restaurants and ice cream parlors, long spoons that are ideal for scooping the last remnants of ice cream sundaes out of their bowls. Paper ice cream cups are also popular, and provide a way for ice cream parlors to offer a portable to go option for their customers. Ice cream cones remain popular as well, and come in a few different varieties and flavors.
Ice cream is not the only frozen treat that’s enjoyable during the long summer months. Frozen yogurt and gelato, for example, are two popular and delicious ice cream alternatives. Frozen yogurt, often thought of as a healthier version of ice cream, has become more and more popular in the United States. In fact, there are now more than 2,500 frozen yogurt shops and there are a number of very popular frozen yogurt chains. Gelato is another option, often considered more traditional than ice cream for the country of Italy. Gelato, though it is very similar in composition and taste to ice cream, is usually the denser option. While ice cream can be made up of 50% air, gelato usually only has 30% air, as well as up to a 9% concentration of milk fat.
No matter what frozen treat you choose, and no matter how you eat it (in an ice cream cup, in a cone, etc) it’s clear that people love them (in fact, 90% of all households in the United States have one of the above frozen treats in their homes or otherwise regularly indulge in them). From vanilla to chocolate, strawberry to cookies and cream, from ice cream cups to ice cream cones, among other popular flavors, frozen treats are beloved in America.