The Oldest Ice Cream Parlor In The US Has Been Serving Up Scoops For Over A Century

Ice cream is arguably as American as, well, apple pie. The cold, creamy concoction was said to be a favorite of President George Washington, who liked the treat so much that it's reported he spent around $200 for ice cream during the summer of 1790 (the equivalent of over $7,000 in today's money). A 19th century former first lady kept the White House stocked with ice cream, too. Is it possible to still experience the ice cream of yesteryear? You can, at the oldest ice cream parlor in America that is still serving the same ice cream it did over 100 years ago: Bassetts Ice Cream, located in Philadelphia.

The origins of Bassets date to 1861, when Lewis Dubois Bassett started making ice cream in his backyard in Salem, New Jersey, using a mule-powered churn. He took his creations to local farmers' markets, and by 1885, Bassett had started to sell his ice cream at his own shop at 5th and Market Street in Philadelphia. In 1892, he opened a storefront at the then newly created Reading Terminal Market, where the store has been ever since. The ice cream shop is still family-owned to this day, and the store even has the same 125-year-old marble countertop. It's also the last remaining original merchant at the massive, famed Center City bazaar.

Bassetts is known for its Philadelphia-style ice cream, which is different from French-style ice cream made with egg yolks. This old school American frozen dessert is made entirely without yolks, so the flavor of fresh cream shines through. The ice cream recipe used at the shop is the same one developed by Bassett eons earlier, and the dairy used in the creations comes from local Pennsylvania farmers. Options offered at the shop are a mix of classics, like French vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate, the first ice cream flavor ever invented, but Bassetts also serves up modern selections such as Moose Tracks, matcha (which also makes a vibrant ice cream topping), and pomegranate blueberry chocolate chunk.

Though Bassetts is famous for its classic Philly location, the ice cream is also available to nearly anyone who wants it. The shop will ship pints of ice cream to anywhere in the United States. The brand can also be found at independent dip shops, restaurants and country clubs. Bassetts even sells its ice cream abroad, operating scoop shops across Asia, starting with Beijing, China in 2008, followed by locations in South Korean and Taiwan. And if you're curious, Bassetts isn't the only famous ice cream to come out of Philadelphia: Breyers, yes, the one sold in nearly every grocery store, also dates back to Philadelphia in the late 1800s.