10 Crazy Ice Cream Flavors Around The World (Slideshow)
Nova Lox (Max and Mina’s, United States)
You can eat dessert for brunch at this small shop in Queens that counts Al Roker and Rosie O'Donnell among its fans. The nova lox starts like most other flavors with a vanilla base, but it's the unconventional mix-ins — nova lox, cream cheese, and salt—that make it extraordinary.
Caviar (Philippe Faur, France)
With dishes like the popular sea bream with caviar ice cream made from 60 percent white sturgeon Alverta Royal Petrossian caviar, ice cream transcends the dessert menu at Philippe Faur's restaurant. Faur offers the sorbet in his ice cream shops, but you don't have to travel to France for this luxury — he ships orders overseas in special packaging that keeps cold for up to 72 hours.
White Truffle Gelato (Bella Gelateria, Canada)
Truffle and caviar sound like overkill, but Bella Gelateria owner James Coleridge knows his ice cream. Coleridge, who took home both the technical and the people's choice award at the 2012 Florence Gelato Festival, infuses his gelato base with white truffle and black caviar for an insanely rich experience.
Frankincense (Oman)
Though American essential oils producer Trygve Harris was initially drawn to this Middle Eastern tree for its aroma, he soon found it to be a popular ingredient for ice cream as well. Frankincense is used for meditation, and the treat offers the same cooling effect with spicy orange notes. Harris serves it each summer at a stand at Oman's biggest frankincense market.
Mustard (Waitrose Supermarkets, U.K.)
Often overshadowed by ketchup, mustard finally has its own spotlight in Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal's ice cream line found at the Waitrose supermarket chain. The flavor features Pommery grain mustard and sugar for a sweet/salty combination.
Spaghetti and Cheese (Heladeria Coromoto, Venezuela)
Spaghetti and cheese — yes, with real spaghetti and cheese — is only one of more than 1,000 flavors offered at Heladeria Coromoto. The Venezuelan shop holds the Guinness Book of Records standard for the largest selection of ice cream flavors in the world. There are 60 flavors on rotation each day, including tuna, hot dog, and Diet Coke.
Salad (Japan)
Dieters in Japan have a best friend in salad ice cream. The strawberry base with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers makes indulgences feel a little more virtuous, and it's widely available in supermarkets. Those in search of something even crazier can search the freezer for horsemeat, squid, and curry flavors.
Hummus (Legenda Ice Cream, Israel)
Israel's ubiquitous spread doesn't need pita any longer at Legenda Ice Cream in Jaffa. The shop's hummus ice cream contains ground chickpeas, tahini, vanilla, and sugar. The result is a sweet take on hummus that tastes similar to halva, a dessert of tahini and honey.
Breast Milk (The Icecreamists, U.K.)
Ice cream makers have experimented with goat's milk before, but London shop The Icecreamists (since closed) drew headlines in 2011 when it experimented with human milk. "Baby Gaga" contained breast milk from paid donors flavored with vanilla and lemon zest. Though shop said it screened and pasteurized the milk, the London city government confiscated the product for a period after its launch over public concerns of safety. Served in a martini glass, the controversial scoop cost an equivalent of $22.50.
Bacalao (Heladeria Lares, Puerto Rico)
Bacalao, or salt cod, is the key ingredient in the staple Puerto Rican fish stew. At Heladeria Lares in the small town of Lares, it's also a popular ice cream flavor. Pair it with arroz con habichuelas (rice with stewed beans) for an icy, savory meal.