Ice Cream Sandwiches Used To Have A Way More Whimsical Name

Do you love eating sandwiches? When you think of your picks for the greatest sandwiches ever created, do any of the fillings include ice cream? We're guessing the answer is no for one simple reason – most people probably think of the beloved ice cream sandwich as a frozen treat, not a real sandwich that's made with bread instead of the chocolate wafers it's often associated with. Granted, Thrillist reports that ice cream sandwiches are also made with bread in different parts of the world. In Singapore, the ice cream is placed on a folded slice of colorful toast flavored with pandan. In the Philippines, scoops of ice cream are placed in a bread roll called pandesal.

But even using bread might not totally address the naming issue. As Atlas Obscura points out, the Singapore-style ice cream sandwich could look more like a taco to some people. Not resembling a traditional sandwich wouldn't be a new issue for the dessert. In the early days of its existence, it probably seemed even less like one. In fact, in the past, ice cream sandwiches used to have a different name that was much more whimsical and downright unusual.

There might be plenty of playful or unusual names a person could come up with for ice cream sandwiches. You might think of the Chipwich, which boasts that it's "the original ice cream cookie sandwich" (per The Original Chipwich). Or you could think of a name like the High Road Vanilla Melt, a combination of cream, salt, vanilla, butter, cinnamon, sugar, bread, and cheddar (via Culture Cheese Mag). But years ago the name didn't contain any kind of "wich" or even an association with melting.

Speaking with The Boston Globe, Jeri Quinzio, the author of, "Of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making," said the creamy treats were once called "hokey pokeys." The term referred to a brick-hard slice of ice cream between pieces of paper instead of wafers. Apparently, the name was inspired by something unusual that vendors in London's Whitechapel district used to call out: "Okey pokey."

However, the inventor of the ice cream sandwich is unknown. The treat was sold in New York's Bowery neighborhood in 1899. Originally, hokey pokeys were sold for a single penny, and today, we can go to the supermarket and get a few ice cream sandwiches for a few dollars. Times and prices change, just like the name of this frozen treat.