National Soft Ice Cream Day
National Soft Ice Cream Day 🍦 is featured in the Obscure Holiday Calendar app with custom icons, reminder options, and quick posts.
Overview
National Soft Ice Cream Day, observed annually on August 19th, is a delightful occasion dedicated to celebrating the distinctively creamy, smooth, and often swirled frozen dessert. This day encourages enthusiasts to indulge in the beloved treat, appreciating its unique texture and cooler serving temperature compared to traditional hard-scooped ice cream, making it a perfect summer indulgence.
Origin and story
The origins of soft serve are widely attributed to several figures, including Tom Carvel (whose ice cream truck broke down in 1934) and Dairy Queen (which began serving soft serve in 1938).
Soft serve is typically served at a higher temperature (around 25°F or -4°C) than traditional hard-scooped ice cream, contributing to its smoother, less icy texture.
Quick facts
- DateAugust 19
- TypeFood / Dessert
- Great forFoodies, Chocolate lovers, Home bakers
Also on this date
Ways to celebrate
Soft serve exists because of a flat tire — an inconvenience that turned into a permanent business idea over a single holiday weekend.
Meet the man with the broken-down truck
Over Memorial Day weekend in 1934, Tom Carvel got a flat tire on his ice cream truck in Hartsdale, New York, pulled into a parking lot, and started selling his already-melting ice cream to passing vacationers — within two days he'd sold his entire supply and realized both soft ice cream and a fixed location could work as a business.
Know the rival claim
Four years later, in 1938, J.F. McCullough and his son Alex developed their own soft-serve formula near Moline, Illinois, running their first sales test on August 4, 1938 at a friend's store in Kankakee — a company that would go on to become Dairy Queen.
Read the fuller history
Helpful resources:
Did you know?
By the dates alone, Carvel's 1934 breakdown predates Dairy Queen's 1938 formula by four years — though both companies still claim credit, and no single inventor has ever been definitively confirmed.
Fun facts
- The origins of soft serve are widely attributed to several figures, including Tom Carvel (whose ice cream truck broke down in 1934) and Dairy Queen (which began serving soft serve in 1938).
- Soft serve is typically served at a higher temperature (around 25°F or -4°C) than traditional hard-scooped ice cream, contributing to its smoother, less icy texture.
- A significant amount of air, known as 'overrun,' is incorporated into soft serve during its creation, often making up 30-60% of its volume, which gives it its characteristic lightness.
Sources and attribution
Tom Carvel: King of Soft-Serve (America Comes Alive)
External links may lead to third-party websites.
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FAQ
- When is National Soft Ice Cream Day?
- It is observed on August 19 each year.
- What is National Soft Ice Cream Day?
- National Soft Ice Cream Day, observed annually on August 19th, is a delightful occasion dedicated to celebrating the distinctively creamy, smooth, and often swirled frozen dessert. This day encourages enthusiasts to indulge in the beloved treat, appreciating its unique texture and cooler serving temperature compared to traditional hard-scooped ice cream, making it a perfect summer indulgence.
- How do people celebrate National Soft Ice Cream Day?
- Enjoy a soft serve cone and consider Tom Carvel's 1934 flat tire, which turned melting ice cream sold from a broken-down truck into the business idea behind soft serve, four years before Dairy Queen's rival claim.
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