Like most people, I’m an indecisive. Deciding between vanilla or chocolate can be challenging for me so you can only imagine how I felt looking at the 36 unique ice cream flavors at Christina’s Ice Cream (take that, Baskin-Robbins).
Like any good journalist, I did some research before I went to Christina’s. And what I found made my indecisive brain explode. Not only was the list of unique ice cream flavors never-ending, but most of them I had never tried or even heard of.
How was I supposed to make a decision?! What if I never make it back to Christina’s?! And this is my one opportunity ever to experience these flavors?!
With those thoughts in mind, I decided to indulge both my tastebuds and my mind and selected the five most unique flavors.
After reading through the menu online maybe around ten times, I curated my list and set out to Cambridge.
Kahlua:
Kahlua tasted exactly how you would expect it to taste, which is like…well… Kahlua. Given I’m underage, I can’t say for certain if it tastes exactly like Kahlua but this is definitely how I imagine it tastes.
For those of you who don’t like alcohol flavored desserts, this is not for you. While the taste is not overwhelming, it’s definitely noticeable. That being said, it’s a fun (and delicious) way to experience the taste of alcohol while being under 21!
Kulfi:
Similar to Kahlua, Kulfi was true to its name. The taste was identical to its namesake Indian origin—a frozen dairy dessert— except with the consistency of traditional American ice cream.
Despite having tried real Kulfi before, I still couldn’t place exactly what the flavor was. Naturally, I turned to the Internet.
I know now that Kulfi’s main ingredients (besides milk of course) are saffron and pistachios. While I’ve never tried saffron on its own, Christina’s version of Kulfi gives you a delicious homage to an Indian classic.
Burnt Sugar:
True to its name, the taste of Burnt Sugar was identical to eating straight brown sugar out of the bag. If you’re not a fan of extremely sweet ice cream, this is not the flavor for you.
Burnt Sugar did fall a bit flat when it came to the first part of its name, however. While the brown sugar flavor was great, I was left wondering, “Where is the ‘burnt’ part of ‘burnt sugar?.”
I think I was looking for a more distinct smoky aftertaste or the taste of the crispy edges of a cookie that may have been in the oven for a little bit too long, but as a perfectly delicious brown sugar ice cream this flavor is a solid option.
Ginger Molasses:
My first thought eating Ginger Molasses was “I’m confused.” While it’s name gave an indication to its flavor, it was a bit weird at first.
After a few more spoonfuls, I concluded that it tasted as if I was eating plain ginger drenched in maple syrup—which totally makes sense given its name.
Once again, a fairly sweet flavor but it grew on me over time
Adzuki Bean:
So, I lied when I said the list is in no particular order. I saved Adzuki Bean for last because it was the most interesting ice cream flavor I’ve ever tried. The first thing I noticed was how much creamier Adzuki Bean was than all of the other ice creams I tried at Christina’s.
Coming from a state known for its custard (Wisconsin), I can say with certainty that I would classify this flavor as closer to custard than ice cream.
I went into the tasting blind and after being confused about the flavor, I googled “adzuki bean” What I discovered? The Adzuki Bean is a type of red bean that is grown primarily in East Asia. While that was a little helpful, Wikipedia failed to provide a flavor profile so I was left to my own devices to figure out what I was tasting.
The taste was elusive and, for a while, I could only describe it as “subtle.” Eventually, I landed on that it tasted like beans, but not in a way that I was used to. I’m aware that description is unhelpful but I can only say that you have to try it to understand. The flavor of the Adzuki Bean is beyond words.
So, what should you get?
All of the flavors that I tried were great so I don’t think you could go wrong when it comes to Christina’s. The unique flavors really deliver so if you see something you haven’t heard of before, I would go for it.
Overall, I would recommend Christina’s to everyone. The ice cream is top-tier and there’s bound to be a flavor to suit anyone and it’s the perfect opportunity to try some flavors on the wilder side.