Frozen Treats Around the World
Updated: Aug 25
Here in New England, warm weather means beach days, seafood, and ice cream. Lots of ice cream. Whether it's a cone after a day at the beach or a stop at a local dairy farm, ice cream is a summer tradition in New England.
But we're not the only ones who take frozen treats seriously. In honor of summer, let's take a look at delicious ways people cool off around the world!
Italy: Gelato
Italy's famous frozen dessert is richer, denser, and silkier than traditional American ice cream thanks to its lower butterfat content and slower churning process. Traditional flavors include pistachio, hazelnut, or fruit flavors, but you'll also find other unique options like olive oil and basil.
Dominican Republic: Helado de Potecito
A refreshing fruit-filled Caribbean treat, helado de potecito is prepared by layering purees into small glass jars and freezing them. Mango and strawberry are popular flavors, creating a sweet and fruity dessert that's perfect for warm tropical afternoons.
Mexico: Paletas
A creamy treat on a stick, paletas is prepared by blending water, milk, or condensed milk with fresh, natural ingredients like fruit or nuts to create flavor combinations like pineapple, coconut, lime, tamarind, passionfruit, pecan, or dulce de leche.
Japan: Kakigōri
Think snow cone... but better! Incredibly fine shaved ice creates a light, fluffy texture further enhanced with syrups and sometimes sweet and creamy condensed milk. This treat comes in traditional flavors like green tea, green melon, or mango and is readily available at convenience stores in Japan.
Germany: Spaghettieis
Get your camera ready, this dessert looks like spaghetti! Created in the 1960s by a second-generation ice cream shop owner, vanilla ice cream is pushed through a spätzle press, then topped with strawberry puree and white chocolate shavings to resemble tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Rhode Island: Del's Frozen Lemonade
I tried to make this an unbiased list, but how could I not include my local favorite and Rhode Island staple, Del's Frozen Lemonade? I love showing up somewhere and discovering there's a Del's truck. It happened a few weeks ago at Fall River's Seafood Festival so I had to get my first Del's of the season. The photo on the right is from another happy discovery at Colt State Park in Bristol, RI.
Final Thoughts
Which treat would you try first? Personally, I'm not choosing between gelato and Del's. Some decisions are too difficult.
