Thai-Style 'Rolled Ice Cream' Getting Popular in U.S.

This is What’s Trending Today.

The weather in the Northern Hemisphere may be getting cooler, but there is still time left to enjoy frozen desserts typical of summer.

One of the most traditional warm-weather treats is ice cream -- a frozen mixture of cream, sugar, milk and flavorings.

Many people believe the dessert first became popular in the United States after the wives of early presidents served it in the White House. According to the White House Historical Association, Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison, served ice cream there for the first time. That was in the early 1800s.

But ice cream has changed a lot in the last 200 years.

And now, a new style of ice cream that started in Southeast Asia is spreading in the United States: rolled ice cream.
This summer, rolled ice cream could be found at street festivals from New York City to Nashville, Tennessee. At Sweet Charlie’s, a store in Philadelphia, customers often wait in line for over two hours to order their rolled ice cream.

Some people call it “Thai stir-fried ice cream.” That is because it looks like it is made on a hot grill, in the same way people cook meat and vegetables.

But the grill used for making the treat is actually extremely cold.

The ice cream “chefs” add things like cookies, candy, and even pizza into the ice cream mixture. Then, the ice cream begins to freeze. Next, the chef spreads it in a thin layer over the cold surface. After a few seconds, the chef uses a tool to scrape the ice cream off the cold surface and turn it into a roll. The rolls are then put in a cup and covered with fruit or flavored syrup.