All kinds of surveys are done across the United States each year to see what Americans like to eat, and this includes desserts, too. Many surveyed people agree that they like to eat frozen treats such as popsicles, ice cream, gelato, Mexican paletas, and more. On a hot summer day, a pedestrian can look up some frozen dessert shops and parlors nearby, such as “gourmet popsicle shop near me” or “mexican popsicles nearby” to find vendors. Not only can they find gourmet popsicle shops, but also find local ice cream parlors, which may sell gelator or frozen custard in some cases. Just how popular are these frozen treats, such as gourmet popsicles at a gourmet popsicle shop? Or perhaps some soft serve ice cream is in order?
Gourmet Popsicle Shops and More
A popsicle is a frozen, flavored treat on a thin wooden stick, and they were in fact invented by accident many decades ago. But today, the many flavors of popsicles aren’t an accident, and a person can look up gourmet popsicle shops in the area to find some high quality frozen treats. Not only that, but these customers can visit paletas shops, which sell Mexican popsicles. How are these different? Paletas might sometimes have a thicker and creamier body, and at any rate, they come in an impressive variety of flavors. Not only do they include regulars such as cherry and blueberry, but flavors such as coconut, butter, and even shrimp are common with paletas. Many fruits native to Mexico (or popular there) lend their flavors to paletas, from dried plum to beets to almonds and figs and passion fruit. Sometimes, paletas are sold at a shop, and other times, a mobile cart will carry them all over town.
Ice Cream
It is safe to say that ice cream is massively popular in the United States, and it has been a favorite since the early 1900s or so. Many studies and surveys show how widely beloved ice cream is. According to NDP Group, for example, around 40% of Americans will indulge in a frozen treat such as ice cream within any two-week period, and around 90% of American households regularly enjoy frozen desserts. What is more, the United States leads the world in ice cream consumption, with the average consumer eating 26 liters of it every year. June is the most busy month for ice cream production (to prepare for summer), and around 8% of all dairy from American dairy farms is dedicated to making ice cream.
How to eat it? One way to enjoy some ice cream is on a waffle cone, and this is the “classic” way to eat ice cream. The cone is edible, and its mildly sweet flavor and crunchy body make for a nice contrast with the ice cream itself. Scoops can be piled on top, and the consumer can carry it all around. It may be noted that ice cream cones are a bit messy, though, and the ice cream may drip or even fall off in some cases. That, and ice cream cones don’t make for good leftovers storage containers.
The other main option is to eat ice cream in a plastic or laminated paper bowl or cup, often served with a spoon or straw. This prevents any ice cream from dripping or falling out, and the consumer can mix around flavors and condiments with their spoon. As a bonus, ice cream cups and bowls make for good leftovers containers in the fridge at home. Related frozen treats such as gelato, sherbet, and frozen custard are usually served this way, too.
A typical ice cream parlor will get regular supplies of spoons and straws, paper napkins, not to mention waffle cones and the ice cream mixer machines. Serving ice cream in both waffle cones and paper cups lets customers get their ice cream any way they like, after all. And after a hard day’s work, the ice cream parlor’s staff can empty out the ice cream machines and rinse them out, then take them apart (as intended) and wash the parts in soapy water. Once the parts are dried and clean, they can be assembled again for the next day’s work.
Leave a Reply