A Presidential Treat Turned Global Holiday
Every year on July 17, the world celebrates International Ice Cream Day. The holiday was established in 1984 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who declared ice cream “a nutritious and wholesome food.” Since then, the day has been marked annually – sometimes on the third Sunday of July in other countries.
The Sweetest Israeli Names
In honor of this hot summer holiday, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics checked how many Israelis share names with popular ice cream flavors. Here’s what they found:
- Karamel (Caramel) – 86 people
- Tut (Strawberry) – 70
- Shoko (Chocolate) – 10
- Tofi (Toffee) – 6
- Vanil (Vanilla) – 3
- Limon (Lemon) – 1
A pretty sweet list – with caramel clearly topping the charts!
The First Scoops in Israel
The history of Israeli ice cream goes back nearly a century. In 1923, Yitzhak Wintroob, who immigrated from London, opened the “Bar Kochva” Café in Tel Aviv – the first place in the country to sell ice cream.
But not everyone got to enjoy it: in May 1942, the British Mandate government banned ice cream sales due to shortages of milk and sugar. The ban was lifted only in February 1945.
By the 1950s, a Bulgarian immigrant couple opened a small parlor in Jaffa, selling Israel’s first-ever bubblegum-flavored ice cream.
Israelis Love Their Ice Cream
When it comes to ice cream consumption, Israelis are serious fans. Ranked seventh in the world, Israelis eat an average of 10 liters of ice cream per person each year – not surprising in a country with long, hot summers.
Whether in Israel or abroad, enjoy some ice cream today!
