Ice cream is showing a lot of different shades this season. One thing is clear, though: Vanilla is not one of them. NEW YORK – What is the ice cream of the summer? If you pay attention to song of the summer contenders, this situation will be familiar.
Depending on where your cues come from, it could be Sabrina Carpenter’s ubiquitous Espresso, the Billboard-topping I Had Some Help from Post Malone and Morgan Wallen, Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us or any single song off Charli XCX’s Brat. Likewise, ice cream is showing a lot of different shades this season. One thing is clear, though: Vanilla is not one of them.
At Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream in downtown New York, founder Nicholas Morgenstern has gained acclaim, as well as lines down the block, for serving multiple takes on the classic flavour, be they Madagascar Vanilla or Burnt Honey Vanilla. But this summer, he reports that one of the top sellers is Pineapple Salted Egg Yolk. “Global flavours are selling more than in recent years,” he says.
“Yuzu Poppy Seed is also quite popular. Actually, anything yuzu sells.” A post shared by @morgensternsnyc Mr Morgenstern says the shift has happened in the past two years.
In 2021 and 2022, people were leaning heavily into comfort food flavours, like cookies ’n’ cream. Now, the key word is “adventurous”. His collaboration with Russ & Daughters deli, a Sesame Bagel ice cream sandwich, sold out online in less than 20 minutes.
At the year-old Sundaes Best in Manhat.