Ice Cream Sundae

ice cream sundae a dish now more than 130 years old. Hachten (1981), recapitulating previous studies of the origin of the dish and the term, attributes the former to Ed Berners, ‘owner of a modest ice cream parlor in Two Rivers [Michigan]’, and a customer called George Hallauer. One day in 1881, Hallauer invited Berners to pour some chocolate syrup, which was on hand for making sodas, over his ice cream. Berners demurred, then assented. ‘Chocolate-topped ice cream became the rage at Berners’ store, and Berners began experimenting with other flavors. His delicious concoctions carried fanciful names like Flora Dora, Mudscow, and Chocolate Peany, which contained peanuts. A generous slurp of apple cider was also a popular topping.’