The day outside is rainy, but the atmosphere inside the Frozen Love ice cream shop in Harlem is joyful.

"I feel like people are against having a sweet treat for themselves nowadays. So that makes me really happy that people are eating that much ice cream every single year," Amethyst Martinez says after hearing that the average American consumes approximately four gallons of ice cream per year.

According to Statista, global revenue in the ice cream market is projected to reach US$109.24 billion in 2025. And the United States is a major player in this game, only the New Zealanders eat more ice cream per person than Americans. A market this big is closely studied. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), in particular, has invested heavily in understanding the roots of America’s love affair with ice cream.

Take, for example, the fundamental question: cup or cone? The IDFA has a research-based answer. Waffle cones win out over sugar cones by 29% to 12%, while 27% of consumers prefer to eat their ice cream out of a bowl.

And once you’ve picked your base, it’s time to choose a flavor. As boring as it might sound, vanilla still holds the crown as the most beloved ice cream flavor.

Amethyst Martinez's favorite flavor is not on the top 10 list.

Compared to many other ice cream cultures around the world, toppings are a big deal in the U.S.

When people were asked about their favorites, responses spanned 21 distinct topping categories—before the rarer ones were grouped together under “other.”

Here are the top 10.