Life & English: Popsicle

Have you ever wondered how new foods get invented? Sometimes people discover a new food by accident. Here is the story of Popsicle.

Frank Epperson was the first person to put a frozen treat on a stick. In 1905, Epperson was 11 years old. He put a fruity drink in a glass and used a wooden stick to stir it. Later, he left the glass, with the stick still in it, outside by accident. When he went back for the glass the next morning, the drink was frozen. The cold weather at night had caused the drink to freeze around the stick. Epperson pulled the stick out of the glass. He licked the ice that was stuck around it. It was cold and sweet. He called it an Epsicle, short for Epperson's icicle.

Later, Epperson made these frozen treats for his children. His children called them "Pop's 'sicles." The treats were so popular that Epperson started selling them at events. Epperson's business continued to grow. Today, people buy billions of Popsicles every year.

Collected & edited by QM