Edy's Pie facts for kids
1943–1954 Eskimo Pie design for cardboard, ice cream box
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| Type | Ice cream bar |
|---|---|
| Owner | Froneri |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1921 |
| Markets | United States, International |
Edy's Pie is an American brand of chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bar that comes wrapped in foil. It was the first dessert of its kind sold in the United States. Today, it is sold by Dreyer's, which is part of a company called Froneri.
The ice cream bar was once known as Eskimo Pie. However, in 2020, after the George Floyd protests, the name was changed to Edy's Pie. This new name honors Joseph Edy, who helped start the Dreyer's company. The old name, "Eskimo," was a term used for Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut peoples. Many members of these groups felt that the name was a "colonial name" and an unacceptable form of cultural appropriation. This means it was seen as taking or using something from a culture without showing proper respect or understanding.
Contents
The Story of Edy's Pie
How the Idea Started
The idea for the Eskimo Pie came from Christian Kent Nelson, a Danish immigrant. He was a schoolteacher and owned a candy store. In 1920, in a town called Onawa, Iowa, a boy in his store couldn't decide if he wanted ice cream or a chocolate bar. This gave Nelson an idea!
He started trying to figure out how to put melted chocolate onto blocks of ice cream. After many tries, he succeeded and began selling his new treat. He first called them I-Scream Bars.
Getting a Patent and a New Name
In 1921, Nelson applied for a special right called a patent for his invention. This patent would give him the exclusive right to make and sell his chocolate-covered ice cream. He also made a deal with a local chocolate maker named Russell C. Stover. Together, they would make the bars in large amounts.
Nelson's wife, Clara Stover, suggested a new name: "Eskimo Pie." They created the Eskimo Pie Corporation. On January 24, 1922, Nelson received his patent. This patent covered any frozen treat covered in candy. He then allowed other ice cream makers to produce the bars under the "Eskimo Pie" name by paying a fee. However, this patent was later cancelled in 1928.
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Russell Stover, who helped start the Eskimo Pie company
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Christian Kent Nelson, who invented the Eskimo Pie, in 1922
Russell Stover eventually sold his part of the business. He then started his own famous chocolate company, Russell Stover Candies. Christian Kent Nelson became very rich from the money he earned from Eskimo Pies. In 1922, he was selling one million pies every single day!
Later Years and Name Change
Nelson later sold his share of the business to the United States Foil Company. This company made the wrappers for Eskimo Pies. He retired when he was still quite young. However, he reportedly got bored and rejoined the company in 1935. By then, it was called Reynolds Metals Company. He invented new ways to make and ship Eskimo Pies. He worked as an executive until he retired for good in 1961.
Christian Kent Nelson passed away in 1992 at the age of 99. That same year, the Eskimo Pie Corporation became its own separate company. This happened instead of being bought by Nestlé.
The original round-faced child character used as the brand's icon was created by an artist named Gyo Fujikawa.
Later, in 2000, a company called CoolBrands International bought the Eskimo Pie Corporation. CoolBrands owned or had licenses for many well-known brands. However, CoolBrands faced money problems and began selling off its businesses. In 2007, it sold Eskimo Pie to the Dreyer's division of Nestlé.
In 2020, Dreyer's announced that the brand name would change to "Edy's Pie" in 2021. As mentioned earlier, the "Edy's" name is a tribute to Joseph Edy, one of the people who founded Dreyer's.
Edy's Pie Around the World
In France
In June 1924, a company called "Esquimaux-Brick" was started in Paris, France. It quickly began making its products in other European countries, like Italy and Hungary. These "Esquimaux Bricks" did not have a stick yet.
The rights for the "Esquimau" brand were officially registered in France in 1928. That same year, a French cheese company called Gervais started selling "Esquimaux Ch. Gervais." In 1931, Gervais bought the Esquimaux-Brick company. The name was later changed to "Kim" (sometimes "Kim Eskimo" or "Kim cone") in the 1990s and 2000s. This happened because "Esquimau" was used so widely that it became a common name for any chocolate-covered ice cream bar.
In Other Countries
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In South Australia, a company called Alaska Ice Cream got permission to make Eskimo Pies in 1923.
The product arrived in New Zealand in the 1940s. There, it is made by a company called Tip Top. In 2020, Tip Top also changed the product's name due to criticism. They renamed it "Polar Pie."
In countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, and also in France, the word "Eskimo" is used as a general term. It is not a brand name, but simply means chocolate-covered ice cream on a wooden stick.
In the Czech Republic, "Eskymo" is a brand of ice cream similar to Eskimo Pie. It is made by Unilever under its Algida brand. While "Eskymo" can be a general term in some parts of the country, the most common word for a chocolate-covered ice cream bar with a stick is "Nanuk." This word comes from the 1922 film Nanook of the North.
See also
In Spanish: Eskimo Pie para niños
