Editing Philadelphia Water Ice (section)

== History ==

Italian immigrants brought frozen dessert traditions to Philadelphia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The immigrant neighborhoods of South Philadelphia became centers of water ice production, with family businesses passing recipes through generations. The term "water ice" (rather than Italian ice) became the Philadelphia regional designation.<ref name="water"/>

The development of commercial water ice production enabled wider distribution. Rita's Italian Ice, founded in 1984 in Bensalem (just outside Philadelphia), grew into a national chain while maintaining Philadelphia associations. Local producers continued serving neighborhood markets alongside the chains.<ref name="water"/>