When Frederic Tudor, aka the "Ice King", started his worldwide ice delivery service in the early 19th century - sailing massive blocks of as far as Europe and India - he probably didn't realize he was launching an American obsession.
We shave it, crush it, cube it, and use finely-tuned machines to carve it into tiny pellets and cultivate 300-pound, crystal-clear blocks. We gnaw on snow cones and shaved ice, pack our soda cups to the rim, and slurp down Slushies 24-7 at the 7-11. We even take our tea and coffee on the rocks.
