A frozen dessert ancestor of ice cream originated in China as early as 3000 B.C., according to the book The Art of the Table, by Suzanne Von Drachenfels. The delectable dessert made its way to Italy in the 13th Century and was introduced into the United States by Thomas Jefferson. The eating of ice cream in the comfort of your own home with the shades drawn may involve a carton and a large spoon. However, that is not how it is done in public. Ice cream is eaten with a spoon. A slice of ice cream cake or cake roll, with layers of ice cream and cake, is eaten with a fork. Ice cream with cake is eaten with a spoon for the ice cream and a fork for the cake. You don't see it very often, but there is such thing as an "ice cream fork," which looks a little bit like its redneck cousin, the plastic "spork" (a spoon shaped utensil with fork tines built in) distributed by fast food restaurants. The ice cream fork is used in informal occasions.
