We’re all familiar with the classic favourite ice cream flavours: vanilla, strawberry, mint choc chip, rum & raisin, pistachio and raspberry ripple – Boooooring! We have recently discovered the dark side of ice cream; the more mad, bad… and often frankly revolting flavours that really feature on the menus of ice cream parlours around the world.
Coromoto Ice Cream Parlour, Venezuela
Photo by Reindertot
According to the Guinness Book of Records this ice cream shop in the Venezuelan town of Merida holds the world record for selling the largest number of ice cream flavours. The grand total is 860 flavours, though only 60 are usually on sale at any one time, and the menu changes seasonally. There are some fairly obscure flavours mixed in there. How do you fancy the cream of crab, mushrooms in wine, eggs, macaroni cheese or sardines in brandy? The house special is reported to be Pabellon Crillo – ice cream made from the national dish of beef, rice, plantain, cheese and black beans. Mmmmmmmm!
Scorpion Sting Flavour
Photo from delawareonline.com
One zany ice cream maker from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware has named his latest flavour ‘Scorpion Sting’. Clearly not a flavour for the faint hearted, Scorpion Sting is vanilla ice cream infused with cayenne pepper, cinnamon and hot sauce and topped with an edible scorpion (a dead scorpion – we think!) The scorpions come from a farm in California and once the pincers and stingers have been removed are thankfully no longer venomous!
Spleen and Artichoke Flavour
Photo by fontplaydotcom
Italy might be the world leader in luxury gelato, remember that as you consider that this is also the country that created Spleen and Artichoke ice cream. I’m not sure that cows spleen and artichoke ice cream would provide the antidote we were looking for on a hot day.
Japanese Flavours
Photo by istolethetv
The Japanese are notoriously for their adventurous taste buds and when it involves ice cream there is no exception. I was utterly speechless (and slightly nauseous) to make the discovery that Horseflesh (yes that’s right, ice cream with REAL pieces of horse flesh in it), Octopus (octopus meat in cherry ice) and Chicken Wing are all flavours consumed in Japan.
Viagra Flavour
Photo from ukhomeoffice
The last whacky flavour worth mentioning has to be Viagra Ice Cream. It’s vanilla ice cream, naturally enhanced with gingko bilboa, arginine and guarana and it was on sale in Selfridges, London in 2009. We say if the ‘viagra’ doesn’t have any effect then the shot of Absinthe it’s served in sure will!
Top photo by janineomg
