The following was posted here on the Ice Cream Journal waaaaay back in November 2006 (the very first month of the blog’s existence), but it’s a fun history lesson, so we thought we’d post it again. Enjoy!
By definition a sundae is ice cream, typically served in a bowl-like glass, and topped with whipped cream, syrup (usually chocolate), nuts and other goodies. It sounds simple, but there are actually several theories about how the sundae came to be. Here are few of the most popular:
The first takes place in Evanston, Illinois. In 1890, many pastors felt that “sucking soda” was in poor taste, so Evanston became one of the first towns to prohibit the sale of soda water on Sunday. Not wanting to close down the shop during one of the busiest days of the week, many local soda fountain operators simply removed the soda water from their ice cream sodas and thus the sundae was born.
The second takes place around the same time in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. It was here that a customer order a dish of ice cream at a local soda fountain and got the crazy idea to ask for it topped with some of the syrup used to make the soda. The idea caught on and began selling once a week on “Ice Cream Sundays.” Soon the popularity of the treat made it a seven-day-a-week treat and the name was changed slightly to accommodate.
The last story finds us in Ithaca, New York in 1893 when the Reverend John Scott walked into Platt & Colt Pharmacy on a Sunday and ordered a dish of vanilla ice cream. The owner decided to add some cherry syrup and a cherry, the Reverend loved it, and the treat was renamed after the day is was invented.
If you’re still not sure who to believe, more information (and more theories) can be found here.