With all these idiots out there licking grocery store containers of ice cream, let us not reflect on their stupidity but on, rather, the frozen treat trends being licked.
The coolest ice cream concepts are coming from the hottest places…
And as I type that, I think that sounds like an absolute no-brainer. Not ice cream licking level duh, but kind of obvious.
What I MEANT to imply is that these toasty regions are really pushing the creative frozen treat envelope.
Kulfi, Falooda
&
Mumbai Ice Cream Sandwiches
Kulfi is a frozen treat speciality hailing from the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. This dessert is ice cream blown up x10-think custard vs. traditional ice cream. Super dense, super creamy and flavored in all the manner of regional flavors; rose, mango, cardamom, saffron, pistachio, date…delicious.
Falooda is this ice cream sundae meets milkshake mash-up …with a twist. Get this…the FILLINGS(!)…rose syrup (traditional falooda is pinkish), sweetened vermicelli (like a noodly rice pudding), sweet basil seeds, milk and an ice cream topper. Think of the digital head turning that’ll happen if you put this beaut on your insta/blog?
Mumbai Ice Cream Sandwiches… K Rustom is an ice cream sandwich shop operating in a tiny space, near the Mumbai waterfront, with just a couple of chest freezers and scores of hungry customers (loyalists since 1953). What makes this spot so trend worthy is the style and flavors of their sandwiches. Over 50 flavors of handmade ice cream is smushed in between 2 wafer cookies…This wafer cookie substitution, I feel, is a better ‘sandwich’ vessel than the typical cookie cookie. It adds a lovely crunch without competing with the flavor of the ice cream. And the FLAVORS…rose ripple, green mango, ginger lemon, saffron, pistachio, saffron + pistachio…marvelous!
Patbingsu,
Halo Halo and Baobing
Patbingsu, the next big thing, this monster frozen treat trend is coming out of South Korea. And like the other two headliners, fall into the ‘shaved ice’ category. Patbingsu can range from casual to ultra fancy with a regular rotation of toppings. The traditional Patbingsu calls upon ingredients like sweetened red beans, chopped fruit, sweetened condensed milk and fruit syrup all topped on pillowy snowy shaved ice.
Halo Halo is a personal fav trend to watch coming out of the Philippines. Halo Halo translates to ‘mix mix’ in this stunning scrumptious carnival in parfait form. Shaved ice is mixed, layered and topped with boiled sweet beans, gelatin, tapioca, rice pudding, ube (purple yams), condensed milk, cereals (some US chefs are adding in things like Cap’n Crunch) all topped with ice cream.
Baobing is having some star-chef powered culinary crossover at the moment. Chef Stephanie Izard, from the famed Chicago restaurant group behind the notable Girl and the Goat, opened up a baobing spot just recently.
This dessert is not necessarily a ‘new’ thing for it’s creators (coming from China and Taiwan)-historically, potentially, being one of the oldest frozen treat recipes on the planet. Ice shavings are mounded into a massive heap before being topped with condensed milk, adzuki beans, mung beans and tapioca balls. A rotation of seasonal fruit is a popular addition for an all-year-round sweet treat.
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