Last year, Karen Weebham-Mendham won the Lay’s “Do Us a Flavor” contest with her simple yet genius flavor invention: Cheesy Garlic Bread chips. With the competition expanding in the food industry, many companies like Lay’s are searching for new flavors that will spark people’s taste buds.
So what other types of food are the industry experimenting with? Ice cream. Check out these crazy flavor concoctions.
1. Pear with Blue Cheese—At Salt & Straw in Portland, you can find common salad toppings in a creamy and cool treat. Pears from Oregon with blue cheese crumbles offer a mix of salt, sweet and even tangy flavors. Other salty and sweet combinations include the Bacon Raleigh Bar and Honey Balsamic Strawberry with Cracked Pepper. If you’re not daring enough, the local dairy store also offers fun twists on classics like Chocolate Bourbon and Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbon.
Photo by jpellgan via Flickr
You can try making your own pear with blue cheese ice cream using Emeril Lagasse’s recipe, too.
2. Lobster—You can travel the East Coast in search of the best lobster rolls, or you can try the lobster ice cream at Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium in Maine. It’s a butter ice cream base with lobster pieces folded into it.
Photo by bradmohr via Flickr
3. Sichuan Pepper Ice Cream—Chef Sbraga’s love for Sichuan peppercorns drove him to incorporate the ingredient into as many dishes as possible. The Top Chef contender serves Sichuan pepper ice cream with cherry jubilee dessert and pistachio cream. You can find this gem at Han Dynasty in Philadelphia.
Photo Courtesy of PhillyMag.com
4. Wasabi Pea Dust—All of the sushi lovers and wasabi fans out there should try the Wasabi Pea Dust ice cream at Big Gay Ice Cream. Located in New York and California, the experimental ice cream truck plays with ingredients like curried coconut, cayenne and even Sriracha. This spicy treat might even make your eyes water and clear your sinuses.
Photo by nycblondieandbrownie via Flickr
5. Creamed Cod Ice Cream—If you’re ever in London, try George’s Portobello Fish Bar’s Creamed Cod ice cream. Aesthetically, the ice cream looks just like the classic fish ‘n’ chips.
Photo Courtesy of Zagat.com
The culinary world is getting some crazy twists and turns with these exotic flavors.
What are some funky ice cream flavors that you’ve tried? If you could invent an ice cream flavor, what would it be? Butternut squash? Salsa? Comment with your thoughts!