After thinking about all the weird combinations of food that people put together, I got to thinking about what people do to ice cream, with all of their odd ideas. It used to be you had three choices--vanilla, chocolate, strawberry. Now, if you can put it in an ice cream maker, you can use it to make ice cream.
Ice cream shops have been making unusual flavors for quite awhile--"unusual" defined as the basics with a few new additions, like pecans or chocolate chips or mint. When I was in college, rum raisin was a big deal because our college didn't allow alcohol of any kind. I used to walk down to Rush Street in Chicago and order rum raisin in a cone just because it was different, and I felt like I was breaking the rules.
But now, even rum raisin is as dull as vanilla when compared to the options. Ben & Jerry's has a new flavor--Black and Tan--which combines ice cream with cream stout. Gifford's in Maine makes Grape Nuts ice cream, and in Hawaii, a flavor derived from Asian red beans is popular. Here are a few other unusual flavors you can find if you look around:
And then there are the ungodly flavors the Japanese have dreamed up, like chicken wing, wasabi, eel, garlic, whale, char-grilled seaweed, ox tongue, and soy sauce. I'm all for regional distinctions, but soy sauce ice cream? I'm with this girl in my desire to eat even a spoon full.
My father never let a day go by without a bowl of butter pecan, and if he could pair it with a piece of cake, all the better. I don't allow myself the joy of ice cream very often, but if I had to choose a favorite it would probably be coffee. Sometimes mint chocolate chip is more appealing, though, as is Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. My daughter has discovered cucumber ice cream, so that will be one I'll have to try. I'm up for that, but I will never try bacon, and I will certainly never try ox tongue.
Ice cream shops have been making unusual flavors for quite awhile--"unusual" defined as the basics with a few new additions, like pecans or chocolate chips or mint. When I was in college, rum raisin was a big deal because our college didn't allow alcohol of any kind. I used to walk down to Rush Street in Chicago and order rum raisin in a cone just because it was different, and I felt like I was breaking the rules.
But now, even rum raisin is as dull as vanilla when compared to the options. Ben & Jerry's has a new flavor--Black and Tan--which combines ice cream with cream stout. Gifford's in Maine makes Grape Nuts ice cream, and in Hawaii, a flavor derived from Asian red beans is popular. Here are a few other unusual flavors you can find if you look around:
chipotle peanut butter • black licorice • ancho chili • green tea • avocado • rosemary and black peppercorn • bacon • apple butter • tequila and cilantro • mushroom and pecan • goat cheese and hazelnut • corn
And then there are the ungodly flavors the Japanese have dreamed up, like chicken wing, wasabi, eel, garlic, whale, char-grilled seaweed, ox tongue, and soy sauce. I'm all for regional distinctions, but soy sauce ice cream? I'm with this girl in my desire to eat even a spoon full.My father never let a day go by without a bowl of butter pecan, and if he could pair it with a piece of cake, all the better. I don't allow myself the joy of ice cream very often, but if I had to choose a favorite it would probably be coffee. Sometimes mint chocolate chip is more appealing, though, as is Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. My daughter has discovered cucumber ice cream, so that will be one I'll have to try. I'm up for that, but I will never try bacon, and I will certainly never try ox tongue.
Comments
So wrong that I have to repeat it.
Wrong wrong wrong.
And another great reason why I abstain.
When Australia joins the band wagon with a spaghetti on toast ice cream i'm moving.
I make a pretty good chili ice cream; also a chocolate and chili. And brother Phil makes a good curry ice cream.
But now I am going to have to go home and make wasabi ice cream. Yummy!
I'd love to try the whale and the eel, too.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Over here, Heston Blumenthal (top mad chef) makes egg and bacon ice cream and - I think - snail, too.
It's a funny old world - Let's eat it!
Dumbledore remarked in one of the films about having the misfortune of getting a vomit flavored one in his youth.
It would seem we're not far from that.
Kisses
Since pumpkin still brings memories of bain maries at boarding school and big, flavourless, stringy barely cooked chunks that inevitably got left behind, I was pleasantly surprised.
Dive, I actually think that chili ice cream might be interesting, a mix of spice and sweet all hitting the taste buds at different times. Hmmm.
Gina, one of the benefits of living on the coast is that you're likely to find more interesting flavors.
JanieBelle, hee hee. Vomit flavored or ear wax flavored. I'm sure that's next in line.
Lizard, I promise to look for poppy seed gelato. I intend to be adventurous even with ice cream.
Vic, I like pumpkin ice cream but more in the fall than in the summer. It's too Thanksgivingish for a hot summer day.
Ox Tongue is disgusting. Ick. I like Moose Tracks---lots of chocolate and peanut butter.