Vanilla's History

Forever Ago kicks off the new season with everybody’s summer favorite: ice cream!

In this episode Joy and co-host Maeve explore the many flavors of this frozen treat. Historian Rosa Abreu tells us why classic vanilla is anything but boring. We’ll also check out some historical tastes of the past, including mace, orange blossom, and ambergris. That last one comes out of a whale’s intestine and was considered a delicacy.

We’ll learn about how ice cream was a symbol of the rich and powerful, long before everyone had a freezer in their kitchen. Join us for the scoop on what really goes into your sundae.

Submit what you want to include in the Forever Ago time capsule at foreverago.org/contact — we’ll be featuring many of the responses on the show!