Why Eating Ice Cream Causes Brain Freeze

Nothing quite beats a couple of scoops of cold ice cream on an Aussie summer day, but have you ever wondered what goes in to making the perfect ice cream? 

In order for ice cream makers to achieve top tier creaminess, the chemistry needs to be just right meaning, the balance of food and solids, liquids and gas needs to be perfect. 

You start with milk and cream and add your more soluble ingredients such as milk solids, flavourings and sugar. But it’s not just enough to add these ingredients together and throw them in the freezer, the mixture actually needs to be emulsified. 

This is where an ice cream machine puts in the hard work, adding air which helps to get the ice cream nice and fluffy and prevents the mixture from crystalising. 

So, we know how to make ice cream – but what makes ice cream different from other creamy treats? 

Science journalist Jacinta Bowler breaks down the science behind our favourite frozen treats, what makes ice cream ice cream and what causes that bothersome brain freeze? 

Tune into the full episode of Huh? Science Explained below… 

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