July Is Ice Cream Month
And the third Sunday of the month is National Ice Cream Day! This month, you can grab a scoop from your freezer or from a parlor, but next year, you could get a scoop of something different. Here are some ice-cold sweet treats from around the globe.
July was recognized as National Ice Cream Month by President Reagan in 1984 and may be our sweetest holiday season. What we think of mostly as ice cream is essentially frozen custard, usually dairy-based, but around the world these frozen treats looks and taste different for various reasons.
Check out ice cream or its close cousins from a few of our common summer study abroad destinations:
Mochi from Japan
You might not have thought to combine rice with ice cream (rice cream?), but in Japan they have wrapped ice cream in sticky rice paste. In additional to chocolate, vanilla, and fruity flavors, consider green tea (or matcha).
Gelato from Italy
Gelato has a reputation for a unique texture with less dairy and quite a few dairy-free options. In Italy they get extra points for presentation with mounded gelato often decorated with chunks or drizzles of the target flavor from watermelon to Nutella to candy pieces. Will you be able to resist?
Bingsu from Korea
Sort of like a snow cone with condensed milk, syrup, and possible solids, bingsu straddles the line between ice cream and shaved ice. In addition to fruity flavors like mango, a sweet red bean (adzuki) paste you can find unique flavor combinations in South Korea. Get to share, or one for yourself if you can't help it.
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Kulfi from India
Formed in a mold with fruity, nutty, or spicy flavors cooked and reduced over hours over heat with milk, kulfi is common across India and many of its neighbors. If you like pistachio or mango sweet treats, these might be a good match.
Paletas from Mexico
Paletas generally come in two styles: dairy-based and fruit-based. You may have seen these prepackaged in the freezer aisle, but you might find these ubiquitous across Mexico on a warm summer day. Are you a popsicle type of person?
I tim pad from Thailand
The Thais should win an award for the mostly creative way of making ice cream. It's fast like liquid nitrogen ice cream but it's mixed on a very cold plate like you see food mixed and prepared on a grill, but with sweet flavors that are then scraped into pretty rolls. Imagine getting some relief on a hot, muggy day in Thailand with these melt-in-your-mouth rolls of ice cream.
What's your favorite international ice-cold sweet treat? Do you like something dairy-free as you might find in the Philippines? A simple dollop on a pastry or doughnut like you can find in Europe?
