When we covered the artisanal Brooklyn mashup of babka ice cream, we started wondering…who else is making ice cream with our favorite classic Jewish flavors? We decided to cover ice cream and gelato producers who sell in markets nationwide, and flavors that reminded us of Israeli markets or Jewish holidays or comfort foods. Some flavors might seem like a stretch, but let’s not get too carried away–it’s ice cream, and it’s supposed to be fun!
Ben & Jerry’s nondairy ice cream: If you’re kosher, one of their 4 pareve flavors will keep your sweet tooth satisfied after a meaty meal. If you’re sensitive to dairy, like many, you’ll be in love with their extra creamy almond base.
Haagen Dazs Toasted Sesame Brittle: their website might say it’s “Asian-inspired,” but it sounds like halvah to us–packed with sesame oil and sesame seeds
Talenti Black Cherry gelato: this heavenly (and kosher) gelato, studded with black cherries and lemon zest, is the sweet and frozen cousin of Hungarian sour cherry soup.
Talenti Toasted Almond gelato: this kosher gelato is a double-whammy for almond lovers, featuring almond butter and toasted almonds. It’s right up there with almond macaroons or mandelbrot.
Steve’s Wildflower Honey Pistachio vegan ice cream: this ice cream features not one but two of our favorite Israeli flavors. Plus, it’s pareve and made with coconut milk!
Steve’s Coconut Macaroon ice cream: almond paste and coconut make for a dreamy macaroon ice cream. Perfect for passover and shavuot.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream’s Pistachio and Honey: even though Jeni’s is based in Columbus, we’re pretty sure this flavor is right out of the land of Milk and Honey. Which leads us to…
Three Twins Land of Milk and Honey: need we say more? Creamy ice cream was made to become a vehicle for honey, and this ice cream maker knows it. Plus, 1% of all sales of this flavor go to the Xerces Society and Colony Collapse Disorder research to help the honey bee. Fun fact: this flavor was invented by founder Neal Gottlieb for Hanukkah in 2010.
Three Twins Dad’s Cardamom: this beloved sweet and smoky middle-eastern spice is in center stage for this intriguing ice cream flavor. Israelis put cardamom in everything from coffee to chicken and rice, so why not ice cream?
LaLoo’s Goat Milk Black Mission Fig: enjoy one of the seven species in this all goat milk (no cream) ice cream.
Hanukkah
Pronounced: KHAH-nuh-kah, also ha-new-KAH, an eight-day festival commemorating the Maccabees’ victory over the Greeks and subsequent rededication of the temple. Falls in the Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually corresponds with December.
kosher
Pronounced: KOH-sher, Origin: Hebrew, adhering to kashrut, the traditional Jewish dietary laws.
pareve
Pronounced: PAHRV or pah-REV, Origin: Hebrew, an adjective to describe a food or dish that is neither meat nor dairy. (Kosher laws prohibit serving meat and dairy together.)
