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 Manhattan, chef Mike Sim says demand for his South Korean flavours is partly due to the wave of popularity the country is riding, from its beauty products to TV shows. His bestsellers are the mauve-coloured hwachae (Korean watermelon punch); honey makgeolli, featuring the milky rice wine; and mochi injeolmi, which is studded with the sweet rice cake. “We never expected to see such a diverse audience coming and trying these flavours,” he says.
Mochi injeolmi gelato at Sundaes Best. PHOTO: SUNDAES BEST/INSTAGRAM At Silver Spring, Maryland, Ms Ndidiamaka Agu opened Shuga X Ice in the new Solaire Social food hall in May. She offers scoops inspired by African ingredients and dishes, including a notably spicy red chilli-infused chocolate selection that she calls Gbas Gbos.
The most popular order is Tea and Bread, a sweet, creamy product laced with chunks of buttered, fluffy Agege bread. “I can vividly remember being in Nigeria, around 10 years old, and the entire family having that Lipton black tea, milk in there, probably more sugar than we needed to have,” Ms Agu recalls, “dipping the buttered bread in the tea.” For some customers, it unlocks a memory.
For others, it is a novel experience. “People out there love to try new things,” she says. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has garnered a dedicated following for tweaked classics such as honeycomb-studded vanilla and for one of the ice cream world’s more viral flavours, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
But co-founder Ben Van Leeuwen sees consumer tastes evolving. People are “more open to international flavours”, he says. “Japanese flavours, Thai flavours, Indian flavours: think hojicha, yuzu, black sesame, mochi.
” A huge part of it is social media, Mr Van Leeuwen adds. “People are (now) exposed to so many foods, and they don’t even have to travel” to try them. On the West Coast, the celebrated Wanderlust Creamery specialises in flavours that conjure up spots around the globe, like Japanese Neapolitan, which features layers of matcha, cherry blossom and Hokkaido milk ice cream, as well as the South-east Asian-influenced Pandan Tres Leches.
Founder Adrienne Borlongan says there is a demand for experiences in ice cream – creative but not gimmicky. A post shared by Wanderlust Creamery ® (@wanderlustcreamery) And not just powered by an Instagram shot either. “We see a lot of Gen Z embracing adventurous things,” Ms Borlongan says.
Her bestseller is Ube Malted Crunch, inspired by her Filipino background. The salty, sweet and savoury Sticky Rice and Mango is also a top seller. And then there is Awan, the expanding, chef-driven ice cream spot that happens to be vegan.
Co-founder Zen Ong is obsessive about his ingredient sourcing. One of the most sensational flavours he has created has been Strawberries and Caviar, a fruity berry concoction laced with pearls of finger lime. “I went to the farmers’ market and bought US$600 (S$795) worth of finger limes,” Mr Ong says.
“I spent eight hours deseeding them. It was the most ridiculously decadent product, from a labour and sourcing point of view. It was US$15 or US$20 a scoop, and it sold out immediately.
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