Exotic indulgence
Specialty ice cream brands are churning out traditional Asian flavors. Masala chai, Turkish coffee and orange fennel are among the varieties from Brooklyn-based ice cream brand Malai. A lifelong love of aromatic spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and saffron led founder Pooja Bavishi to reimagine a classic sweet treat with unconventional flavor pairings.
Humphry Slocombe’s Black Sesame ice cream emerged as the top frozen treat tasted by a panel of judges for the Specialty Food Association's 2018 sofi Awards and is described as sophisticated, sweet and nutty with flecks of black sesame mixed in.A first-time exhibitor at Summer Fancy Food is Brooklyn-based Noona’s Ice Cream, a small-batch brand influenced by a Korean-American heritage. Flavors include golden sesame, turmeric honeycomb, green tea and toasted rice.
A handful of exhibitors at the show produce mochi ice cream, a Japanese confection made with pounded sticky rice.
READ MORE: Tea time
