In college, you get to meet a lot of people. There’s a diversity of ethnicities, hobbies, interests, and preferences. But here’s the real question, the first question you should be asking every new person you meet: Do you put sprinkles on your ice cream?
There are many different sides to consider in this discussion. Of course, every opinion is subjective, but here are a few points to consider:
The Texture
GIF courtesy of giphy.com
Are you the kind of person who likes a crunch with what you eat? Or are you a smooth criminal when it comes to pleasing your palate? Differentiating between pro-sprinkles vs. anti-sprinkles is like the crunchy peanut butter vs. smooth peanut butter debate, honestly. But if you’re looking to hit up your pb cravings today, check out what you should do here.
Upon asking various students in the dining hall how they feel about sprinkles on ice cream, I was told:
“Sprinkles add a new level of mouth feel—like how Doritos are engineered to feel good in your mouth.”
“The extra texture makes you happy.”
But here’s the counterargument: sprinkles detract from the smoothness of the ice cream. Personally, I like to preserve the creamy, lush feel of the ice cream without getting sprinkle bits stuck in my teeth. Ice cream melts, there’s no hassle, and you look good eating it (fabulous, actually). Picking out sprinkles in your mouth? Not so pretty.
“If you want crunchiness, get an ice cream cone.” Wise words from a person who has his ice cream preferences straight.
The Taste
Photo by Vivian Dang
There are so many different kinds of sprinkles out there, from the sucky tasteless ones to the ones that are basically just colored sugar. I think the most common sprinkles out there are chocolate sprinkles and rainbow sprinkles (those are the kinds that exist in Yale’s dining halls, anyway).
Personally, I don’t find them to taste very good at all (the taste in chocolate sprinkles might as well be imaginary), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t palatable sprinkles out there. And if you want to define sprinkles loosely, you can include coconut shavings and marshmallows and M&Ms and other yummy toppings.
I’m a purist and want to preserve the true flavor of the ice cream. My chocolate chip cookie dough is just going to be chocolate chip cookie dough (although you should seriously try eating chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with a dollop of Nutella…your life will change). If you have vanilla ice cream though, I get it—sprinkles might just boost the flavor a little. And some whipped cream. And chocolate syrup. Which brings me to my last point…
The Experience
Photo by Vivian Dang
Aesthetic is everything. If food looks amazing, doesn’t it taste better?
Sprinkles are just pretty. That’s an objective fact. In fact, they’re so pretty that they “make you want to eat more ice cream,” as said by one sprinkle lover. Some people prefer rainbow sprinkles only because “you eat with your eyes first.” Others admit that sprinkles, “are for the experience more than the taste.”
Isn’t that all that matters in the end? The experience of eating ice cream you genuinely enjoy—whether or not your ice cream is topped with sprinkles. Let’s all join hands in appreciating the gift of a good bowl of ice cream.
So you may be an ice cream purist who never pairs anything with the scoops in your bowl, or you can be a glutton for decoration and throw your ice cream a party.
Whatever you may be, let’s all agree that at the root of it all—we love ice cream.
GIF courtesy of tumblr.com
Yes, Mr. Sheeran. Indeed.