20 ice cream flavors so wrong they're right
Combinations you won't believe exist
When traditional vanilla and chocolate don't excite you anymore, it’s time to look for something more adventurous. Here we’ve compiled some of the most surprising ice creams from around the world. These ice-cream parlours have cranked up their innovation and produced some truly weird flavours.
1. Ube (purple yam)
Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream has been around for 35 years, offering the residents of Waianae, Hawaii, a taste of ice cream perfection. Today, although there are more than 50 flavours on offer, Dave’s purple yam ice cream stands out because of its unique colour and gentle sweet flavour.
2. Sweet corn
This ice cream parlour in Missouri takes great care in preparing their ice cream from fresh, local milk and the best ingredients. Among some of the amazing flavours Glace Ice Cream offers are peanut butter & jelly, salted pretzel and… sweet corn.
Instagram/@capecodfoodies
3. Lobster
Yes, you really did read that right. Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium offers their customers lobster flavoured ice cream – cooked lobster meat is buttered and then folded into the ice cream. They say it’s one of their most popular flavours.
Instagram/@chantellealazia
4. Cornflake
If breakfast is your favourite meal of the day, then Ice Cream Union’s creation is just for you. Literally made from milk and cornflakes, it’s frozen breakfast in a tub.
Instagram/@heddonstkitchen
5. Salt and vinegar
Gordon Ramsay’s Heddon Street Kitchen offers a build-your-own ice cream bar with mouth-watering flavours like raspberry, wild strawberry and coconut. However, if you’re feeling a bit more daring, try their signature – salt and vinegar.
6. Horseradish
Max and Mina’s Ice Cream call themselves revolutionaries that challenge the mundane flavours of ice cream. They offer several surprising flavours like corn on the cob and Merlot alongside our favourite – horseradish.
7. Non-melt ice cream
Technically, not a flavour but still good news for hot summer days. Scientists at the Biotherapy Development Research Centre in Kanazawa, Japan have stumbled upon a miracle-working method that lets your frozen treat retain its shape and structure for several hours.
8. Ash
Jude’s Ice Cream in London might have started this trend but now ice-cream parlours around the world are rolling out dark creations. Made from coconut ash, this pitch-black ice cream has an intensely rich coconut flavour and will look pretty impressive on your Instagram feed.
9. Crocodile eggs
Yes, we are pretty surprised too. This ice-cream shop in Davao, Philippines offers ice cream made from crocodile eggs. You can find it in Davao’s Crocodile Park, which is a small zoo and a crocodile farm.
Instagram/@heladeriacoromoto
10. Spaghetti and cheese
Heladeria Coromoto in Merida, Venezuela is world-famous for offering 860 flavours. The Guiness World Record Holders usually sell about 60 different ice-cream flavours at a time, including garlic, chilli and cheeseburger. It’s also become a popular tourist attraction in Merida because of their creative-sounding flavours like British Airways and Viagra Hope.
11. Scorpion
This lovely ice cream from The Ice Cream Store sounds fantastic – a sweet, crunchy cone with vanilla and orange juice, mango and strawberry swirl. “Where’s the catch?” you’re wondering. That comes in the shape of a dried scorpion placed on top of your cone.
Instagram/@sweetactionicecream
12. Honey jalapeno pickle
Somehow, we have a feeling that the Denver institution that is Sweet Action Ice Cream just tried throwing together three different ingredients that shouldn’t go together until it worked. Honey jalapeno pickle is not their only eyebrow-raising flavour: whiskey brickle, horchata (a Latin American drink) and an almond, currant and saffron blend are also on offer.
Instagram/@masonscreamery
13. Sriracha
These Cleveland-based ice-cream makers have found a way to use America’s favourite condiment in a desert. The Mason’s Creamery flavour has also gone on to become popular among food bloggers and home cooks, who try to recreate it.
14. Fresh herbs sherbet
Made from a variety of herbs, such as basil, tarragon and mint, this flavour from Salt & Straw claims to capture the essence of summertime. There's plenty more to be surprised by, too: they’ve rolled out eggplant, honey and custard along with green fennel and maple for their August farmer’s market series.
Instagram/@mallardicecream
15. Frankincense
One of Mallard Ice Cream’s seasonal flavours, frankincense ice cream is Christmas in a frozen ball with a wood-like taste of pine and honey. If that sounds too much like eating potpourri, you might be relieved to hear there are chocolate chunks in it too.
16. Cheese
Everyone likes cheese, right? Manhattan-based café Il laboratorio del gelato certainly do, as they decided to make a cheese ice cream. They now sell a cheddar cheese flavour alongside classics like celery, rose petal and cucumber.
Instagram/@patswalkoflife
17. Wasabi
The Daio Wasabi Farm in Nagano, Japan, is a picturesque wasabi farm dating back to 1915. It’s one of the largest in Japan and also a popular tourist attraction. They sell a wide variety of wasabi products, such as pickles, crackers and sausages, but the highlights are their wasabi ice cream and wasabi chocolate.
Instagram/@humphryslocombe
18. Prosciutto
The “bizarre, delicious, frozen universe” of Humphry Slocombe is exactly that – bizarre. Specialising in creating truly unexpected flavours, this San Francisco ice-cream maker will tempt you with flavours like jalapeños, prosciutto, candy cup mushrooms and olive oil.
Facebook/Frozen Pints Ice Cream
19. Beer
With seven different beer-inspired flavours, from honey IPA to cinnamon espresso stout, Frozen Pints have taken their passion for craft beer to the next level. And in case you were wondering, yes, they really are alcoholic – Pumpkin Ale is their strongest creation with 3.2% alcohol content.
Instagram/@robynvickersphoto
20. Blue cheese and walnut
It might sound like a great pairing for a salad dressing rather than an ice cream, but this ice cream from London’s La Gelateria has earned a Great Taste gold star, while the artisan ice-cream makers themselves have been Great-Taste winners four years running.