Thursday, July 27, 2023

A Kiwi Sweet Treat

 Imagine a different kind of ice cream. It's fresher less sweet and airier. Can there be a new twist on tis classic? Yes.It's coming from New Zealnd and it's their take on the iconic cone.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about this different kind of cold treat in yesterday's New York Times food section. I'ts now coming to the States with shops  selling it in Boston, Portland Oregon and Austen , Texas. The New Zealandrs call it  real fruit ice cream and it's a scoop of vanilla blended with fruit in a machine that produces a barely sweet swirls with a buttery texture. Real fruit ice cream probably originated in the country's berry orchards and has been the desired dessert for decades. However when the Americans took it over they made major changes. Cookies and other sweets are being added , much to the chagrin of New Zealander manufacturers of the Little Gem, the ice cream  blender that makes the blended ice cream. Dennis and Chris Little, brothers who make the machine  say that  they've been getting  alot fo requests from America but feel that adding cookies or candy to the mix would not make for a big seller.

This is upsetting to a culture that  leads te world in ice cream consumption An average New Zealander eats about 5.3 gallons a year while Americans eat only 3.5 gallons annually. What separates the two cultures is that the US is almost hedonisitc when it comes to the frozen sweet according to August Radhill, owner of Far Out Ice Cream in Brookline Massachusetts.It serves cones of real fruit ice cream.He and his business partner, Drew Beja opened up their store in 2021 wit just two flavors and four toppings. Yet customers asked for more toppings. Zeds Real fruit Ice Cream in Austin offers several flavors and toppings along with sundaes like berry Butterfinger, a strawberry real fruit ice cream with chocolate sauce and Butterfinger candies. sales have been so brisk that the onwer Mack Brown is looking for a second location.Its te drizzles or sauces that get the Americans not the ice cream itself. The reaction is mixed .some like it  like Kelly Ferrarosome like Otan Oy don't claiming it's too drippy. Americans ar enot used to the taste of fresh fruit in their ice cream.

Will real fruit ice cream replace American soft serve. That's a hard question. Americanslove their sauces and toppings yet the idea of a new kind of ice cream is intriguing.