Fourteen of the Weirdest Ice Cream Flavours

Ice cream is a stalwart on the dessert menu of many restaurants, whether that's fine dining or fast food. The popularity of dessert parlours is also testament to that, as well as the continuing joy of children and adults as they hear the familiar jingle of an ice cream van in the distance. When the sun comes out and temperatures rise ice cream is a go-to, whether in a cone or a tub, but what's the story behind it and what are the weirdest flavours enjoyed around the globe?

The history of ice cream follows the rise of modern civilisation and has been around in some form for longer than you might imagine.

• The first ice creams were consumed in Persia, as much as 2500 years ago. It wouldn’t have resembled what we know today, but was instead made from sweetened water, frozen and then broken into small pieces to be laced with sweet toppings and fruit.

• This cooling dessert spread throughout the Roman and Greek empires, where it was primarily enjoyed by the royalty and nobility of the day who could afford the rather costly production process.

• On the collapse of the Roman Empire, the transportation of ice from the mountains ceased and so iced desserts became an even rarer and pricier commodity.

• We would have to wait until Renaissance Italy before seeing a resurrection of the concept of ice cream. Italy was a powerhouse during the Middle Ages, trading extensively with Asia and the Middle East. This brought new methods and recipes to Europe. 

• We have Catherine de Medici to thank for introducing the French nobility to the delights of iced dessert. In 1533, she left Italy to marry the French Duke d’Orleans, who would become King. She brought with her previously unseen wonders such as high heels, cutlery and most importantly, ice cream. The passion for ice cream only intensified, but it still only enjoyed by those who could afford it.

• It wouldn’t be until the Industrial Revolution took hold that production methods improved enough to be able to mass produce the delicious dessert. The biggest hurdle to overcome was the problem of continuous refrigeration.

• 1926 saw the introduction of the first electrical freezer. This was the breakthrough that ice cream had been waiting for!
  Now, manufacturers could mass produce it, slashing prices and making ice cream affordable to the masses for the very first time. Hooray!

• Ice cream was hugely popular in the United States before it took off in the UK. The production and popularity of ice cream in the UK did not truly get going until the start of the Second World War.

• After the war, the ice cream industry grew massively, new flavours were introduced, artificial ingredients were added, and prices reduced. 

Did you know? The Roman Emperor Nero was so enamoured of sweet iced treats that he ordered runners to fetch ice from the mountains to be delivered to Rome.

The largest manufacturer and consumer of ice cream in the world is the United States. The ice cream industry is worth many billions of dollars per year with 90% of households indulging in the dessert.

While vanilla, strawberry and chocolate were always considered the core flavours, the range has grown significantly firstly with mint and toffee and then with bubblegum, salted caramel, honeycomb, banoffee and pistachio, to name a few, becoming popular. While the UK might be nearing our limits of adventurousness, if you venture to other parts of the world the flavours become more and more extreme. Would you dare to try?

1. Jellyfish: many jellyfish ice creams contain the enzyme luciferin, the element which both fireflies and jellyfish have which allows them to fluoresce. Yes, that’s right; ice cream that glows in the dark!
2. Octopus: the Japanese love to use octopus in many dishes so adding to ice cream is just a natural progression. Hope you don’t get tongue-tied by a tentacle!
3. Squid ink: the natural hue of the ink makes a strikingly coloured ice cream ranging from a dark grey to jet black; let’s hope it doesn’t stain!
4. Eel: a classic summer delicacy in Japan, eel is said to make surprisingly tasty ice cream; just don’t dwell on the main ingredient for too long!
5. Bacon and egg: fancy an all-day breakfast but with a refreshing twist? Why not eat your favourite bacon and egg in ice cream form.
6. Beer: if you love a pint, you’ll love this ice cream infused with beer flavours. You want your beer cold? You can’t get much colder than ice cream.
7. Curry: cold curry might be perfect for the morning after the night before but can frozen curry be just as satisfying? Apparently so spicy that your taste buds will tingle for hours afterwards.
8. Charcoal: said to actually have a hint of carbon to the taste maybe this might hold some secret health secrets to benefit the body.
9. Horse meat: the seemingly innocent vanilla ice cream has a hidden secret; it is actually mixed with raw horse flesh. If you have a strong enough stomach to give it a try just don’t think too hard about what you are actually eating!
10. Jalapeno: infused with the hottest chilli’s around, this ice cream can break you out in a sweat even though it is ice-cold.
11. Ox tongue: made with sour milk and actual chunks of ox tongue!
12. Sweet potato: thought potatoes were just for eating as a main? Think again. This sweet yet stodgy flavour takes a stereotypical main ingredient, flips it on his head and results in one of Japan’s favourite dessert flavours.
13. Cactus: this succulent plant gives a refreshing ice cream perfect for warm days; just be careful of the needles!
14. Bird: typically cockatiel, java sparrow and parakeet flavours are available. Would you want to eat your pet bird?

What other crazy ice cream flavours have you found around the world? Let us know about them and whether you had the stomach to try them.

If you're looking to introduce ice cream to your business or expand your range, take a look at our Ice Cream Refrigeration Buying Guide to help you find the best equipment whether that's for storage, display or soft scoop servings.