Serious question but why do old people love ice cream so much?

[Anonymous]

Old people tend not to eat as much so keeping ice cream in the freezer makes sense. There’s always sweet when company or grandkids come over. They can have a small treat when they want without the pressure of needing to eat it all before it goes stale. They tend to not want to waste food

[Anonymous]

This is one of the best threads I’ve ever read on DCUM. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Joe Biden being one, but what makes older generations love ice cream? Will generations born in the 70s, 80s, 90s feel the same about it when we are elderly?

I'm one of those generations and I already love ice cream. Always have. My kids born in the 2000s love ice cream, too. I really don't think it's a generational thing per se.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I can honestly say I’ve never been offered ice cream as an adult in a home by anyone under 70.

I’ve been to plenty of dinners and lunches over with friends and can’t think of one time outside of visiting elderly relatives or neighbors that I’ve been offered ice cream by anyone under 70.

I’m thinking back to being a kid too, the times I’ve ever been scooped a bowl of ice cream were all with elderly neighbors or relatives. Friends would have popsicles - sometimes the ones with cream in the center but nonetheless, I skewed toward only having ice cream with the elderly.

If my kids have friends over, I'm going to offer them the thing I can pull out of the freezer and hand to them without any fuss and minimal mess/dishes.

Plus, if I have ice cream on hand, it's my ice cream and I don't want to share that.

My grandparents never offered ice cream, but they always had cookies and then as adults my grandma would offer us beer.

Aside from the beer, this sounds like I could have written it. My grandmother was particularly keen on Brach caramels.
In fact, I don't recall my grandparents ever keeping ice cream in the house. But we would "stop for ice cream" at an ice cream shop after certain outings. And we would make ice cream at summer family gatherings. There was ice cream in our house most of the time, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Joe Biden being one, but what makes older generations love ice cream? Will generations born in the 70s, 80s, 90s feel the same about it when we are elderly?

Not true. A portion of old people actually stop eating ice cream because their teeth are more sensitive. My parents avoid food too cold or too hot.

Not being able to eat it doesn't mean they don't like/love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dad grew up on a farm with no electricity. Ice cream took a lot of work to make, sugar was expensive and there was no way to store it long term.

Even for those who had electricity, during wwII there was sugar rationing and thus older people now were raised by people who considered it a treat and not something that the average person would have every day in their freezer. That’s also why they love the trip to the ice cream parlor. It reminds them of that time.

So for it him it has always been one of those luxury items. He used to make it for my kids with the old spinning thing and ice and salt. I feel the same way about mail delivery on a Sunday and free long distance! Calling my friend in Germany just to chat for an hour - what a decadent thing!

My uncle stores his Amish neighbors’ ice cream in his freezer for them because they don’t use electricity. They buy ice cream even though they can’t keep it in their own homes. They’re not elderly.

Is it really the neighbors' ice cream, or is he just saying it is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s more generational than age related. Boomers love ice cream! They hate how much ice cream costs so they flock to
McDonald’s and hope the machine isn’t broken, I think Walmarts have some fast food court cheap ice cream.

It’s nostalgic to them and such a treat! Ooh let’s get an ice cream! Blah blah

You sound cuckoo. I grew up in Cincinnati with one of the best US ice cream shops...Graeters. So, it is simply not enjoyable to eat just any brand. I don't know anyone from any economic class, race, gender, generation or religion that considers McDonald's to be ice cream. Like pizza, the DMV is terrible when it comes to ice cream offerings. None are the best. Where in the world are you from that you consider McDonald's and Wal-Mart to have any real ice cream? And, BTW, I am a boomer.

Graeter's - yay! Still, I'm happy to "tolerate" lesser ice creams and even enjoy low-brow McDonald's soft serve. I also appreciate DQ and Ben and Jerry's and Haagen Dazs and the lowly stuff that comes out of my Cuisinart.

One can appreciate the higher quality ice creams but still enjoy ice cream overall. I can also eat chocolates that aren't Ghiardelli.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are not many ice cream stores around. There are McDonald's all over. So because they can't go to a convenient Baskin Robbins, Friendly's, HoJo, Ben & Jerrys, Steves, or local shop they get McD's.

It's also far less expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not specifically ice cream, it's soft-serve.

I think this is a regional thing.

Soft serve is mid at best.

For me, Ice cream is just a vessel for rainbow sprinkles.

That surprises me. I don’t particularly like ice cream, but although I get the visual appeal of sprinkles, I think they ruin the experience of eating ice cream and other desserts. To me, they don’t have an appealing flavor, they add a very unpleasant texture, and they contain junk ingredients. I’d love for you to help me understand the appeal of sprinkles, apart from their being pretty.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not specifically ice cream, it's soft-serve.

I think this is a regional thing.

Soft serve is mid at best.

For me, Ice cream is just a vessel for rainbow sprinkles.

That surprises me. I don’t particularly like ice cream, but although I get the visual appeal of sprinkles, I think they ruin the experience of eating ice cream and other desserts. To me, they don’t have an appealing flavor, they add a very unpleasant texture, and they contain junk ingredients. I’d love for you to help me understand the appeal of sprinkles, apart from their being pretty.

It's the juxtaposition of creamy and crunchy. The taste is bitter and nasty but the weird crunchy texture makes it special. Bonus if you remember being excited by the colors as a 6 year old.

Chocolate chip serves the same purpose and is far more appetizing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's definitely a generational thing. Fancy pastries weren't as big back then or just didn't exist in small cities.

My inlaws go insane for frozen custard. They specifically like vanilla or plain chocolate and I just can't. It's too boring. They like to talk about the texture.

Frankly I'd rather have a glass or wine or cocktail than a dessert. I like to drink my calories.

Everyone is crapping on OP but this is what I think it is. When older people were growing up ice cream was one sweet that was somewhat readily accessible. They didn’t have a proliferation of pastry shops and bakeries and Dubai chocolate and whatever we have and even people on a farm could make it with some fresh milk and sugar and salt for the machine. It was probably the most common sweet treat to get back in the 40s-50s-60s.

Disagree. Bakeries and pastry shops were all around. Ice cream shops were fewer and farther between. Still are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ILs are obsessed with ice cream and talk about exactly what they’ll get, what add-ons, cones v cup, if they’ll get a sundae beginning at breakfast. If they are on vacation, the discussions continue through lunch - so much talk about “saving calories” and fasting and “burning off the extra calories” so maybe they should walk to get ice cream. Chatter up until they order the ice cream and then a breakdown and critique of what they’ll order next time, how this compares to X ice cream, how many calories they’ve consumed, and how expensive ice cream is, maybe they’ll try frozen custard next, should they drive 20 minutes and find parking or try the frozen custard place within walking distance…they love to say that they are returning home”fat and happy” and wrote that in numerous guest books.

Your ILs sound tedious to be around, and they must really ruin the whole ice cream experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Old people tend not to eat as much so keeping ice cream in the freezer makes sense. There’s always sweet when company or grandkids come over. They can have a small treat when they want without the pressure of needing to eat it all before it goes stale. They tend to not want to waste food

You are way over-analyzing this.

[Anonymous]

Love this thread for bringing back great memories.
I can't have ice cream any more but loved recalling all the good times.

[Anonymous]

The sense of sweet on your taste buds is the last to dull. The others - bitter, salty, sour, umami - dull earlier. So sweet stuff in general is very popular with the elderly.