Ice Cream Sandwiches Were Once Sold At High-End Eateries
Ice cream sandwiches are an iconic American summer treat. They're so ubiquitous that most people may never think about when they were first invented. People just talk about the novelty handheld dessert as if it's always been around. Still, the ice cream sandwich remains a heavily debated treat. Even Wirecutter has gotten in on the game. In July, the well-respected publication decided to rank ice cream sandwich offerings found at grocery stores both large and small.
When the warm weather rolls around, you'll likely grab an ice cream sandwich. Most people do. According to the South Florida Reporter, 48 ice cream sandwiches are gobbled up each second. Next time you grab a Fat Boy or a Tofutti Cutie, stop and think about the evolution of the frozen treat. They went from vending carts to grocery store freezers in the last 100 years. Ice cream sandwiches also had a stop in one very unlikely type of eatery.
A sweet and swanky history
The history of the ice cream sandwich is a bit debatable. Early versions of the treat don't exactly resemble what we consider the modern-day ice cream sandwich. Still, there is some documented history of the frozen treat's rise in popularity. According to The Boston Globe, street vendors in New York City began selling ice cream sandwiched between two baked items in the 1890s or early 1900s.
The summer treat was incredibly popular, and soon enough, the street vendors found an unlikely type of customer. At the turn of the century, high-class gentlemen did not eat from carts pushed around New York City. Food carts were utilized by messengers and mailroom attendants looking for a quick and cheap bite. The ice cream sandwich changed all of that.
As the Boston Globe notes, restauranteurs noticed the sudden commotion and decided to capitalize. Eventually, ice cream sandwiches made it onto the menu at some of the finest restaurants in the country. While times have changed, the popularity of ice cream sandwiches has not. Neither has restaurants' ability to capitalize on the simple, frozen dessert's popularity: In the summer of 2021, the Michelin-starred New York eatery Musket Room took to selling creative ice cream sandwiches during weekend afternoons (via Time Out).
The traditional ice cream sandwich gave rise to other frozen novelty desserts
As is common with beloved treats, tweaks were made over the years. After seeing the popularity of traditional ice cream sandwiches, George Whitney, the owner of ice cream brand It's-It, decided to create his own take on the famous treat. According to It's-It, Whitney placed a scoop of ice cream between two oatmeal cookies and dipped the concoction in chocolate in 1928. The result was an even more decadent frozen treat.
50 years later, Richard LaMotta tried his hand at the ice cream sandwich game to screaming success. According to the New York Times, LaMotta developed an ice cream sandwich that used chocolate chip cookies in 1981. To see if the concept worked, LaMotta sent dozens of vending carts into New York City to sell his frozen treat. It was an instant success, and the Chipwich was officially born. LaMotta ran the company for 20 years before selling the concept to CoolBrands International Inc in 2002 (via the Globe and Mail).
Today, there are dozens of versions of the famed ice cream sandwich. You can buy them in the freezer section of grocery stores or at ballparks around the country. You can find high-end offerings at niche ice cream parlors, too. The summer treat is constantly evolving, but there will always be room for the original.