Tag: Rocky Road

The Best-Kept Secrets About Ice Cream

Fans of ice cream will be pleasantly surprised to learn that two of the most common myths about this product are not based in fact. First, ice cream is not a high-calorie diet disaster; and second, ice cream is actually better for you than its substitutes. It is a good idea to dispel these popular misconceptions, for you can not only enjoy ice cream, you can also appreciate knowing that it is good for you.

Many people believe that ice cream is high in calories, and therefore believe that it is a treat which should be avoided. While calorie content varies, depending on which particular brand and style you prefer, the brands and styles you can find in your local grocery store are considerably lower in calories than one might think. It is not necessary to sacrifice taste and enjoyment, for the regular varies of ice cream do not contain a caloric count that is significantly higher than the “light” or “diet” types.

For example, Breyer’s, which is one of the most popular brands of ice cream, has only 140 calories per serving in their all-natural vanilla flavor. While one might be skeptical about additional tasty morsels in ice cream, Breyer’s natural rocky road only has 160 calories per serving. And while the Blue Bunny brand entices you to its product with wonderful enhancers, even their Bunny Tracks delight, which is said to be “chunky and gooey” will not sabotage your wish to eat healthy treats, at 170 calories in each serving.

For those who prefer their ice cream to be portable, many of these treats are also well within the range for calorie-counters. An Edy’s ice cream sandwich, for example, contains only 150 calories; and there are only 180 in each Blue Bunny neapolitan ice cream sandwich.

Ice creams which are listed as light or diet do not generally have a lower enough calorie content to make it a factor. Most serious ice cream fans will be happy to know that they do not need to sacrifice flavor, taste, and the better consistency of their favorite product for the sake of lower calories. Schwan’s light vanilla, for example, contains 120 calories per half-cup serving, while their regular vanilla is only 140; Perry’s light vanilla has 110 calories, but their premium White Lightning has only 170 calories.

In addition to concern about calories, many people who love ice cream also believe it to be unhealthy in general, and opt for less enjoyable substitutes. While those who have been advised by their physicians to limit their intake of fats and sugars due to medical conditions, should follow their doctors’ advice, people who are in good health and do not have such limitations can note that ice cream substitutes are not generally more healthy than traditional ice creams.

The most well-known ice cream substitute is called ice milk. While many believe that this product is significantly more healthy than traditional ice cream, the only differentiating factor is that ice milk contains less than ten percent milk fat, whereas ice cream is required to contain at least ten percent, and many of the better brands range up to sixteen percent milk fat. Gelato, the Italian style of ice cream which is increasing in popularity in many areas, also does not have a much lower fat content– up to seven percent, as opposed to regular ice cream’s required ten percent. Other than ice cream products which are specially made fat-free or sugar-free for those who have medical conditions which necessitate this, the ingredients in regular ice cream and the process by which it is made make it not only a good choice for one’s enjoyment, but also a healthy one.

Ice Cream And Its Wworldwide Popularity

While ice cream is generally considered to be as American as baseball, hotdogs and apple pie, Americans have no monopoly on the love for this famous dessert. People worldwide share an affinity for ice cream in its many forms and varieties.

In Italy, ice cream is a very popular dessert. The Italian style of ice cream, which is called gelato, is now being sold in some parts of the United States. There are a number of differences between Italian gelato and American ice cream. Contrary to common misconception, gelato does not contain any gelatin. Gelato contains much less fat than the American styles of ice cream, and its consistency is not as hard-frozen as its American ice cream counterparts. Gelato is usually made of fresh, all-natural ingredients. Produced in many of the same flavors as ice cream, nuts or chocolate chips are occasionally added. It is not surprising that this “new ice cream” has made its way to the United States, and is growing in popularity.

After the United States, New Zealand tops in the world’s ice cream consumption, at twenty litres per year. The New Zealand Ice Cream Company states that their Calci-Lite dairy dessert was likely the world’s first low-fat, calcium-fortified ice cream. Not wishing to sacrifice taste, this ice cream is made in seven flavors, including Saucey Chocolate Orange, Chocolate Malted, and Honeyed Vanilla. As an interesting fact, showing that ice cream truly is a universal favorite, two of New Zealand’s Tip Top Ice Cream Company’s most popular products are Rocky Road ice cream and Eskimo Pies!

Australia is the world’s third largest consumer of ice cream. Although some Australians like to make their own ice cream, the commercially-made types which most enjoy as a basic part of their diet are standard ice cream, soft serve, and Italian gelato!

Ice cream is also a favored treat amongst people in Japan. While the Japanese enjoy the same ice cream flavors that are most popular worldwide, such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, they also have a number of varieties which are quite unique! Of Japan’s unique list of ice cream flavors, such as Cactus ice cream, Chicken Wing ice cream, and Wasabi ice cream, there is one which has recently begun to attain acceptance in the United States Green Tea ice cream. Green Tea ice cream is not difficult to make, consisting of green tea powder, milk, egg yolks, sugar, and heavy cream.

The French love ice cream, too, and have many ice cream shops which specialize not only in ice cream but also soft serve and gelato. Chez Scoop, which is deemed to be one of the best shops in Paris, offers tourists and local customers the same universally-loved flavors of ice cream, such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Other styles of ice cream which are popular in Paris are the Grasshopper (vanilla ice cream with mint) and the Tortoise (vanilla ice cream with chocolate, caramel, and pecans). The French are also partial to ice cream which is topped with Vermont maple syrup!

Ice cream is so popular in the United Kingdom that the Ice Cream Alliance has existed since 1944. While mainly directed toward producers and sellers of ice cream, the Alliance also holds annual ice cream competitions. Although the United Kingdom consumes considerably less ice cream than the United States, they presently have more than a thousand ice cream companies. The British enjoy many of the same flavors as Americans, but have some which are likely unique to their region, such as Black Pudding ice cream and Newcastle Brown Ale ice cream.