It's the Brian Lairn Show on WNYC.

Welcome back, everybody.

I'm Matt Katz, reporter in the WNYC and Gothamist Newsroom filling in for Brian today.

Our final segment is a continuation of our WNYC Centennial series called

A Hundred Years of a Hundred Things.

I scream, you scream, we all scream.

For number 10 on our list, ice cream.

Maybe rainy today, but New York has been sweltering hot.

So what better time to learn about everyone's

favorite frozen treat? Joining us today to give us the scoop, sorry, on the history of ice cream

is Laura Weiss, journalist and author of ice cream, a global history. Laura is a lactose intolerant

ice cream expert. Hi, Laura. Welcome to WNYC.

Hi, Matt. Thanks for having me on. And listeners, let's talk about ice cream. Do you have fond

memories of Fudgy the Whale Cakes, Mr. Softie Trucks, or Jans in Jackson Heights? Let's hear

your history with New York ice cream. Have you scooped ice cream or did you or your

family have an ice cream parlor? Want to shout out a favorite flavor that's fallen out of favor? Or a new

find for the next century. Give us a call. 212-433 W-NYC. You can also text us at that number. 2-1-2-433-9-6-9-2.

Okay, Laura, so the history of ice cream, specifically in New York, give us some context.

What's the origin story there?

Okay, well, the origin story actually goes back to ancient China, where the Chinese emperors

had made for their delight, goat or buffalo milk ice cream that was flavored with camphor,

and additionally, had dragon eyeballs incorporated into it. Not sure what that tasted like. And then the Greeks and Romans

...