Whether you're planning an ice cream tasting, or just wondering how to enjoy your gourmet ice cream to the fullest, it helps to know How To Eat Ice Cream.
At Perfect Flavor, we're obsessed with gourmet ice cream. We sample lots of ice cream, from basic supermarket vanilla to exotic gourmet ice cream flavors like ginger-pear sorbet. Over time, we've developed a few guidelines on how to enjoy ice cream to the fullest. We hope that by using this ice cream tasting guide, you'll progress from a mere consumer to a true gourmet ice cream connoisseur.
Weight
You can take the first step in assessing a new flavor of ice cream without even opening the container. Simply hold the ice cream container in your hand. Heft it. Does it feel heavy or light, for its size?
True gourmet ice cream doesn't have much air in it. Instead of whipping lots and lots of air into the ice cream mix as it freezes, premium ice cream makers gently turn the mix as it cools, resulting in a rich, thick and heavy ice cream.
Temper
Next, before opening the lid, you need to know about tempering ice cream. That's a fancy word that means "let it warm up to the right temperature".
Your average automatic-defrost home refrigerator/freezer keeps foods frozen between -5°F and 10°F. The ideal temperature for spooning and eating gourmet ice cream is about 5°F to 10°F. To reach that ideal temperature, you'll have to let the ice cream sit for a few minutes - usually 5 or 10 - before you serve it.
Incidentally, if you'd like to store your ice cream at the ideal temperature, set your freezer somewhere in the range of -20°F and -10°F. That's probably a bit colder than your freezer's normal setting, but it helps keep ice crystals from forming on the ice cream.
On The Spoon
After you've tempered the ice cream and served it, scoop up a spoonful. We like using metal spoons. Both metal and plastic spoons consist of relatively inert materials, and therefore do not alter the taste of the ice cream. However, metal spoons conduct heat faster, so the ice cream will seem colder as you eat it from a metal spoon.
Observe the ice cream on the spoon. Is it melting a little? Does it cling to the spoon, or slide off? Notice the color and texture. Is it opaque, or translucent? Is it a natural, inviting hue? Is it perfectly milled and homogenized (the way scary industrial machines make ice cream), or does it have ripples, flecks of flavoring, and texture?
Aroma
Believe it or not, although ice cream is served cold, and therefore doesn't have much natural aroma, premium artisanal ice cream, gourmet gelato, and handmade sorbets will have a slight, subtle bouquet. Go ahead and smell the ice cream on the spoon. It will hint at the taste you're about to enjoy.
Start
Turn the spoon over as you put it in your mouth. That way, the first thing your tongue will touch is the ice cream, instead of the bottom of the spoon.
The most intense flavors arrive with this first taste, so take your time. Hold the ice cream on your tongue, and as it melts a little, see what you taste. Is the flavor released quickly, or does it build? What are the first flavor and aroma impressions?
These "start" or "top" flavors will last a few moments, and then give way to the finish...
Finish
Gently chew and swallow. As the ice cream leaves your mouth, the starting flavors may fade, and finishing flavors arise. There may be subtle changes from the starting flavors, or the tastes could be quite different.
Do the finishing flavors last, lingering, or do they fall off quickly? Like a wine tasting, an ice cream tasting is an exercise in tuning into your senses. Ask yourself "What flavors does this remind me of?"
Mouthfeel & Texture
Use the next spoonful of ice cream to try the texture and consistency of the ice cream. Is it creamy, or grainy? Is it uniform, or are there bits and pieces? Does it melt quickly in your mouth, or slowly? As you gently chew it, how does it yield?
Summing It Up
The final test of ice cream seems like the simplest. "Do I want more?"
When you're enjoying Perfect Flavor gourmet ice cream, made in a single batch to match your own ice cream recipe, with local, organic and seasonal ingredients, we hope the answer is a resounding "Yes!"
