With the scorching temperatures beating down on the St. Louis area, ice cream might be a treat on your mind. Well, coincidentally, July is National Ice Cream Month

To beat the summer heat and give you some background, here are a few fun facts from the International Ice Cream Association about ice cream, the frozen treat that makes everyone smile, especially in the summertime.

• Ice cream is an $11 billion retail industry.
• America is the ice cream capital of the world, producing more than 1.5 gallons of ice cream per year.
• Each American consumes around 22 quarts of ice cream a year.
• Vanilla is the most popular flavor in the United States, pulling in 20-29 percent of all ice cream sales.
• Chocolate comes in a distant second, with about 9 to 10 percent of the market.
• Children ages 2 to 12 and adults over 45 eat the most ice cream per person.
• One out of every five ice cream eaters admit to binging in the middle of the night.
• Men binge more in the middle of the night than women.
• One out of every five ice cream eaters shares their frozen treat with their dog or cat.
• Premium ice cream is the most popular with consumers, but it has a higher fat content than regular ice cream.
• Ice cream sandwiches and fudge sticks are the most popular ice cream novelties.
• Pecans are the most popular nut and strawberries are the most popular fruit added to ice cream.
• Frozen yogurt is resurging in popularity, as is no-sugar-added ice cream.
• About 9 percent of all the milk produced in the United States is used to produce ice cream.

There are several great locations in the Webster Groves and Rock Hill areas to indulge in the cold delicacy, including Baskin Robbins, Dr. Jazz, Frozen Custard Factory and Serendipity. 

So, what’s your favorite ice cream, and where do you like to get it?