WIKIPEDIA:
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products. Ancient civilizations have served ice for cold foods for thousands of years. In the Persian Empire, people would pour grape-juice concentrate over snow, in a bowl, and eat this as a treat, especially when the weather was hot. In 400 BC, the Persians went further and invented a special chilled food, made of rose water and vermicelli, which was served to royalty during summers. The ice was mixed with saffron, fruits, and various other flavors. While a frozen mixture of milk and rice was used in China around 200 BC.
