Ice Cream on the Brain

O h, ice cream. Nearly everyone’s favorite treat, the frosty dessert takes on new meaning in the summertime. An ice cream cone in the summertime hearkens back to barefoot childhood days running after the ice cream truck.

The origins of ice cream remain shrouded in mystery. It is believed that ice was first combined with sweets and flavorings in the mountains of the Middle East in “Ice Cream: The Delicious History.” The ancient Arabs called it “sharab.” Fast forward to present day, and you have sherbet.

Others credit Greek emperor Nero with the invention of summertime’s favorite treat; he had a taste for Arab “sharab.” Still other camps believe ice cream’s origins can be traced back to Syria, where sweetened cream was accidentally left out in the cold. Voilà! Ancient ice cream. 

Somewhere at the turn of the 18th century, cream and eggs were entered into the icy mix in France and Italy, and the crude beginnings of ice cream as we know it were formed.

Since that time, ice cream has developed into all sorts of mind-boggling varieties that can make your head spin.

Pastry chef Jacob Landman of FarmBloomington explains the difference between gelato and ice cream comes down to air and cream. Gelato, Italian for ice cream, uses less air and more cream than the American variety, which results in a denser dessert.

Sherbet is sweetened fruit juice and can also contain milk, eggs and gelatin, and sorbet is strictly devoid of any of those ingredients and is typically a little softer than sherbet.

Though the genius behind the invention of ice cream is lost to history, we’re sure glad he or she existed. In Bloomington, the fruits of the creation have not gone unappreciated. Check out some of these local vendors and dip into the frosty favorite the world over.


The Pourhouse Cafe
314 E. Kirkwood Ave.
8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Not just for coffee lovers, The Pourhouse now serves Italy’s tasty frozen treat. The coffeehouse serves nine of Palazzolo’s Artisan Gelato & Sorbetto’s more than 600 flavors on any given day, with flavors changing almost daily. The Michigan-based company boasts no artificial ingredients, using fresh fruits, real liqueurs, imported chocolates and coffees, among others, to flavor the gelato. Pourhouse employee Ally Ladd said among the shop’s best sellers are mango, creme de menthe, triple dark chocolate, Turkish coffee and her favorite, banana caramel praline.

BLU Boy Cafe & Cakery
112 E. Kirkwood Ave.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday

Opened in 2008 on Kirkwood near the square, BLU Boy cafe serves a host of confections appealing enough to tempt even the strictest of dieters. Its homemade ice cream is no exception. The dessert is made in-house in small batches by employee Jen Moore, using as many fresh, local ingredients as possible. All eggs and fruit are bought from Heartland Farms, and honey is from Hunters Honey Farm. And all of BLU boy’s chocolate ice cream is flavored from its leftover dark chocolates. Try the honey ice cream or the mudslide flavor, with pieces of the mudslide cookie mixed in. Or opt for a scoop of seasonal strawberry made from local fruit in one of the homemade waffle cones.

Jiffy Treet
1000 N. Walnut St., 223 S. Pete Ellis Drive, 3293 W. Third St.
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday, Noon to 10 p.m. Sunday

With several locations around town, Jiffy Treet is a Bloomington staple serving just about every frozen concoction available. Most locations generally carry 8-12 different flavors of homemade ice cream, among their most popular are cake batter and cookie monster.  Cyclones are another Jiffy Treet specialty, a take on Dairy Queen’s Blizzard – but with twice the variety of the chain restaurant’s dessert. With nearly 50 mix-ins and counting, the combinations are seemingly endless. Jiffy Treet North owner Sean Duncan has made it his personal goal to have at least 100 mix-ins at his store, a goal he is continually working on. Also a plus: “We’re on the side of satisfying the customer, so we try not to skimp with our ingredients,” he said. For those looking for a dessert while on a diet, Jiffy Treet also offers Only 8 frozen yogurt, which claims to have just 32 calories per 1/2-cup serving.

Chocolate Moose
401 S. Walnut St.
10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday

On summer nights, lines wrap around the corner of this brown and pink chalet downtown. The Chocolate Moose, a family owned and operated business in Bloomington since 1983, continues to please customers with its homemade ice creams, soft serves, slushes and sundaes, to name a few of the frozen treats offered here. Grasshopper and moose chocolate are among patrons’ favorites of the nine or so flavors of homemade ice cream, along with the seasonal lemon Italian ice. If you’re lucky, owner and ice cream maker Tim May will hand-dip it for you himself. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time; the lines are long for this in-demand ice cream.

Bruster’s Real  Ice Cream
350 S. Liberty Dr., 4531 E. Third St.
Noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, Noon to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday

With two locations in town, this national ice cream chain makes all its tasty ice cream and treats inside the store. Flavors abound, but be sure to try the summer specialties like peach and black raspberry. Both stores offer quaint walk-up ordering windows and plenty of benches to sit on while your ice cream drips on you. Look for coupons in the mail, and if you’re really looking for a deal, the enormous waffle cone is your best bet at just more than $3. The Third Street store provides a perfect location for an ice cream pit stop on your way for summer day at Lake Monroe.