Written by Let’s be real. Lots of people love ice cream. I mean, who can say no to a tasty scoop of ice cream, right?
With its smooth texture and many flavors, this frozen dessert makes people happy no matter where they’re from or how old they are.
Whether it’s a scorching summer day or you’re feeling down, ice cream has always been the go-to treat, (well) at least for me.
But did you know that there are different kinds of ice cream that are enjoyed around the world? It seems like every culture has its own way of making and enjoying ice cream to suit its different tastes.
And guess what – July is National Ice Cream Month, so to celebrate, I will share some of the most delicious and popular ice creams from around the world.
Here are 10 ice cream styles you might want to try:
Ais Kacang – Malaysia
Ais kacang, also known as ice beans, is a popular Malaysian dessert made with shaved ice, sweetened red beans, sweetcorn, evaporated milk, and various toppings.
It’s also commonly referred to as ‘ABC’ in the Malay region, which stands for ‘air batu’ (ice) and ‘campur’ (mixed).
Traditionally, an ice-shaving machine creates the shaved ice for this dessert. The machine is originally hand-cranked but now mostly motorized.
You can find this dessert in abundance at Kuala Lumpur’s night markets.
Akutaq – Alaska
Akutaq, also known as Alaskan ice cream, is a dessert made by Alaskan Athabaskans and other Alaska Natives. It’s also called Inuit ice cream, Indian ice cream, or Native ice cream.
It’s traditionally made of whipped animal fat, such as caribou or moose, and meat, such as dried fish. It’s also often mixed with foraged summer berries or mild sweeteners, such as roots of Indian potato or wild carrot, mixed and whipped with a whisk. It may also include tundra greens.
Gelato – Italy
Gelato is a frozen treat originating from Italy. Its name, gelato” literally means “ice cream” in Italian. Unlike American ice cream, gelato is denser and milkier, as it tends to use more milk than cream in its recipe. This also lowers the gelato’s fat content.
Authentic gelato also does not usually include egg yolks commonly found in ice cream recipes. Some people even describe gelato as more elastic. However, ice cream is creamier than gelato. Gelato usually has more sugar too, giving it a sweeter flavor and stretchy texture.
I-Tim-Pad – Thailand
I-Tim-Pad, also known as rolled ice cream or stir-fried ice cream, is a Thai frozen dessert that mixes milk, cream, sugar, and flavoring ingredients.
The mixture is poured into a superchilled ice pan, where it freezes into a thin layer of ice cream. Then, it’s scraped off and rolled into spiral-shaped logs. These logs are served in a bowl or cup with toppings like fruit, chocolate sauce, cookies, and whipped cream.
Kulfi – India
Kulfi is a frozen dessert from India that’s often described as “traditional Indian ice cream.” It’s similar to ice cream but with a denser, creamier texture.
It’s made from condensed milk, sugar, and flavors like saffron, rosewater, or cardamom. You’ll often find it topped with crunchy nuts like pistachios. It also comes in various flavors: cream, rose, mango, cardamom, saffron, and pistachio.
Unlike ice cream, it’s not whipped, solid and dense like frozen custard. It’s a popular snack in South Asian cities and the Middle East, often sold by street vendors or in trendy parlors.
Dondurma – Turkey
Dondurma, or Turkish mastic ice cream, is made with cream, whipped cream, salep (flour made from orchid tubers), mastic (plant resin), and sugar.
Thanks to the use of salep and mastic as thickening agents, it has a hard texture, is resistant to melting, and is stretchy like just-melted mozzarella.
Mochi Ice Cream – Japan
Mochi ice cream is a frozen treat made from Japanese mochi or pounded sticky rice with an ice cream filling. It’s made by wrapping small scoops of ice cream in a sweet dough made from glutinous rice flour.
Did you know that Japanese-American businesswoman Frances Hashimoto invented this popular Asian-American fusion dessert in the early 1990s?
Mochi ice cream can now be found in grocery stores worldwide and comes in various flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, green tea, red bean, black sesame, plum wine, and mango.
Paletas – Mexico
Paletas are a Mexican frozen treat made from fresh, natural fruits like strawberry and mango or rich, creamy ingredients like chocolate and Sicilian pistachio. While fruits are commonly used in Mexican paletas, milk-based options are also available.
To make tasty paletas, you must blend natural fruits, a bit of water, and stuff like yogurt, pour the mixture into molds, and chill it. You might need to change the process depending on what you’re using. Some paletas even have a creamy center, like condensed milk or dulce de leche.
Spaghettieis – Germany
Spaghettieis, or spaghetti ice cream, is a German dessert that looks like a plate of spaghetti. It was invented by Dario Fontanella, a second-generation ice cream shop owner, in the late 1960s in Mannheim, Germany.
To achieve this look, vanilla ice cream is pressed through a special tool to form spaghetti-like strands. It’s then served on whipped cream, topped with strawberry sauce to mimic tomato sauce, and sprinkled with coconut flakes, grated almonds, or white chocolate shavings to represent parmesan cheese.
In addition to the usual version with strawberry sauce, there are variations like ice cream with dark chocolate and nuts, imitating spaghetti carbonara.
Sorbetes – Philippines
Sorbetes is a traditional ice cream that comes from the Philippines. It’s special because it’s made with coconut or carabao milk.
People sometimes call it “dirty ice cream,” but its name comes from being hand-churned and sold in the streets. Street vendors, known as “sorbeteros,” sell sorbetes from colorful pushcarts.
It comes in various flavors and is served in cones or cups and, more recently, in pandesal bread as an ice cream sandwich. It also comes in various flavors like mango, melon, coconut, avocado, strawberry, chocolate, cookies and cream, and cheese.
What is your favorite style and flavor of ice cream? Have you tried any of the international ones mentioned? Did you like it? Comment below!
