I've been wearing shorts this weekend which is all the evidence you need that it's been a real scorcher here on the East Coast. I swear half of me has melted away! And I hear it's going to be worse later this week - Lord help me! If I could walk around the streets of New England in a string bikini, I would. But unfortunately I can’t (especially not with this bod!) so I’ve had to think of other ways to beat the heat and I’ve been downing, chomping or slurping anything that’s icy cold.
Thoughts have turned to all the ice-creams we used to devour as kids and boy did we love our ice-cream! When we were growing up, ice-cream was an occasional treat. There’d always be tubs of Cornish vanilla or neopolitan ice-creams at family parties and gatherings; the ice-cream man wasn’t safe when we heard the van approaching our road, and ice-cream cones were a must when my family and I hit the local park. Unsurprisingly, Mum refused to stock up on ice-cream during the winter months, so ice-cream is most definitely synonymous with summer.
Today ice-cream is all about Ben and Jerry’s, Haagen-Dazs, Carte D’or and flavours that never existed when I was a kid: salted caramel, lemon meringue pie, espresso, and toffee apple... I once asked my EFL class what their favourite ice-cream flavours were and ‘pistachio,’ 'black cherry,' and ‘green tea' featured in the answers. And me? Well funnily enough my favourite ice-creams are three which are very hard to find in England: I love butter pecan (USA) crème caramel/flan (Spain) and brown bread ice-cream (Ireland.) I must be the only person who needs to hop on a plane every time they fancy a scoop of ice-cream!
This is all good but it’s dawned on me that many of the ice-cream flavours from my childhood have either totally disappeared or they’re very hard to come by. Ice-creams in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s weren’t necessary ultra-sophisticated. And when I think about it, there was a very limited range of flavours - generally chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla - and packaging was more fun than glam. Brands were typically Wall’s, Lyon’s Maid, supermarket's own… and not much else! But it was fun, delicious and it kept you cool.
I absolutely love ice-cream today: there’s a never-ending variety of flavours, including savoury flavours (avocado chilli or black pepper anyone?) the quality has vastly improved, and it’s that much more creamier and flavourful. But I can’t help but get all nostalgic when I think about what ice-cream looked like back in the day and those retro flavours. So as an ode to summers gone by and staying cool, here’s a list of the ice-cream flavours that were around when I was growing up in the Eighties. Some of them are still around; some are hard to find, and some seem to have melted away…
1. VANILLA
Vanilla ice-cream needs absolutely no introduction! Vanilla ice-cream might be considered a bit, well, vanilla, but back in the eighties, in a world with limited ice-cream flavours, if anyone had a tub of ice-cream in their freezer, you could bet your life it would probably be vanilla. It was very popular in our house although Mum tended to buy it in block form rather than a tub.
I suppose one reason it was so popular was because it was – and still is – so versatile: you could pop it in a soda float; add any flavour topping to it; layer it up in a sundae, or serve it as an accompaniment to a pudding... However most of the people I knew used to serve it with jelly or tinned fruit salad – a real treat back then for us kids (tinned fruit was the only fruit I’d eat as a child.) It might not sound very sophisticated but if someone served up jelly and ice-cream for me, or tinned fruit and ice-cream now, I’d happily scoff the lot!
Today, vanilla has to work hard to maintain its popularity with all these weird and wonderful ice-cream flavours around that are tempting us away from this good, old-fashioned flavour. Vanilla is still tops due to its versatility but we’re much more fussy when it comes to the quality and won’t settle for any old vanilla ice-cream. It has to be super smooth and creamy, with an intense vanilla flavour – and if it happens to be vanilla bean ice-cream, so much the better!
2. CORNISH VANILLA
Now this was the ice-cream flavour that Mum was most likely to buy and it was always the Wall’s brand that was in our freezer. Cornish vanilla ice-cream had a much deeper cream-come-yellow colour that regular vanilla ice-cream didn’t have, and what I remember most was that deliciously buttery flavour. Even as a child I felt that Cornish vanilla ice-cream didn’t really need any sauces or toppings thanks to that unique flavour; I preferred to have it ‘plain’.
Over the years I gradually stopped devouring Cornish vanilla. I’m not sure if it’s because I ate bucket-loads as a child or because I was tempted away by other flavours – or maybe both! But when I’m hit by nostalgia – as I so often am – I do treat myself to some Cornish vanilla ice-cream. However, I can’t help feeling a little underwhelmed by it because that intense, buttery flavour that I remember doesn’t seem the same – no matter which brand I buy. But I live in hope of rediscovering it.
3. CHOCOLATE
I didn’t know a kid back then who didn’t like chocolate ice-cream – and I still don’t! It’s still very much a firm favourite today with children and adults alike. When I was growing up, chocolate ice-cream was just, um, chocolate ice-cream. Now chocolate ice-cream has more varieties than Heinz: white chocolate, chocolate brownie, chocolate fudge; chocolate cookie dough; chocolate mud pie; triple chocolate; chocolate-til-it’s-coming-out-of-your-ears etc.
At secondary school, we were fortunate enough to have an ice-cream van arrive in the school yard every lunch time and home time, where after school, I would sometimes treat myself to a chocolate cone. I wonder what Mr. Oliver would make of that!
And you don’t need me to tell you, it’s still one of the most popular ice-cream flavours all over the world. But then with all those chocolate variations it would have to be.
4. STRAWBERRY
My memories of strawberry ice-cream – a flavour both my parents loved back then – was that it was always an eye-catching shade of pink; anything from a pretty pastel shade to a very deep pink. However one thing I’m wondering about is whether any of the strawberry ice-creams I devoured throughout my childhood actually contained a scrap of real strawberry at all! I suspect most of them didn’t and were simply strawberry-flavoured but even if we knew that back then, I doubt we would have minded very much.
Of course today there is a real distinction between the brightly coloured strawberry flavoured ice-cream, and the frozen, creamy delicacy that’s made with the real deal and contains yummy chunks of frozen strawberries – and I definitely know which one I prefer!
And as with chocolate, there are many variations today of the humble strawberry ice-cream: strawberry cheesecake; strawberry shortcake; strawberries and cream; roasted strawberry mint; strawberries and champagne… oh it was all so much simpler in my day!
5. MINT CHOC-CHIP
A childhood fave for me, as I loved anything that was mint flavoured (as a matter of fact I still do!) And contrary to popular belief, mint ice-cream tastes nothing like toothpaste.
When I was around seven, I went through a phase where I would only ever eat ice-cream if it was mint choc-chip. I loved the cool, refreshing, minty taste combined with the soft, creamy texture. And those dark chocolate chips were a very welcome addition. Mint and chocolate – a winning combo if ever I heard one. And of course I loved the minty green colour too.
Mint choc chip is still readily available and although it's not really my first choice of flavour these days (I definitely overindulged when I was a child and can never finish a whole tub now) I still wouldn't say no to a mint choc-chip cone.
6. BANANA
This is an ice-cream flavour I loved back then and still do. Banana ice-cream wasn’t overly common when I was growing up – it still isn’t – but I remember that some restaurants offered it along with the usual three flavours - Strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla.
I really liked banana ice-cream partly because I love the sweet, creamy taste of bananas but also because it made a change from the three usual suspects! I’ve since discovered that banana ice-cream isn’t popular with a lot of people even now although I can’t understand why. After all most people like a banana split and the flavours aren’t too dissimilar. Never mind – I’ll guzzle the lot single-handedly!
What were your favourite ice-cream flavours as a child?
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Something that always reminds me of my childhood is the vanilla ice-cream that always came in tubs that you used to eat with spoons that looked like little mini paddles. I've grown up in many different countries but that always seemed to be a constant!
Of course butterscotch! How could I have forgotten butterscotch!
Chocolate or Butterscotch.
Don't recall ever having banana ice-cream. Would like to try it though.