All across the United States, people love ice cream. All varieties are popular, from soft serve to scooped, from gelato to frozen yogurt, even popsicles becomes increasingly popular during summer months. After all, eating a cone of ice cream is the perfect way to end a long summer day – it makes sense that June is the month where the most is produced in the entire year.
Ice cream is one of the preferred dessert options in the United States, and nearly ten percent of all milk produced by dairy farmers in the United States is sent for the production of ice cream and other similar items, like gelato. Ice cream, though creamy and rich, is often a lighter dessert option – literally – as it often contains at least fifty percent air once it has been through the process of churning. Gelato, on the other hand, is a richer alternative, as it contains as much as eight percent milk fat and as little as twenty five percent air, making it considerably denser than ice cream though with a similar flavor. Frozen yogurt has also risen in popularity in recent years as a delicious but healthy alternative. The success of the frozen yogurt industry can be seen in how many stores have popped up all over the United States – now totaling more than two thousand and five hundred. For the ninety percent of all households in the United States that enjoy sweet frozen deserts, frozen yogurt can be the healthy option that many have been looking for. Ice cream will always be a popular choice though, with the average person consuming it nearly thirty times in just one year.
Ice cream and other frozen treats like gelato, popsicles, and frozen yogurt, come in a wide variety of flavors. The old standbys tend to be chocolate and vanilla, with the majority of surveyed customers preferring vanilla over any other flavor available. In fact, nearly thirty percent of all people surveyed said that vanilla is their flavor of choice. But other flavors are also popular, like birthday cake, blue moon (a midwest delicacy), and mint chocolate chip. Many ice cream parlors even have specialty flavors, often incorporating seasonal ingredients that can’t be found in many locations. A tasting spoon will often be offered at many of these locations, letting their customers both old and new discover the delicious new flavors they have. Some of these flavors may include peach, lavender, and even buttered popcorn. Specialty ice cream flavors will not be the first choice for everyone (especially those who like to stick to the tried and true classics) but many frozen desert consumers love the chance to try something new and even a little exciting.
There’s no doubt about it, ice cream and other frozen treats are some of the most popular dessert choices all across the United States. Though people have different preferences as to how they eat their ice cream (be it in a cup or a cone, with toppings or none, a classic flavor or a new and bold one), we can all agree that ice cream is one of the most delicious foods out there.
