This black sesame-flavored ice cream creatively subverts traditional sweet-tasting flavors and ice cream's usually pastel colored consistency. Instead, the black sesame ice cream is a savory ice treat that that comes in the unusual color of gray.
While black sesame ice cream might seem unusual to North Americans, it's actually quite a popular flavor found in Asian ice cream parlors. Though black sesame seeds tend to give off a slightly saltier and nut-like taste, this black sesame ice cream is said to taste similar to a "black currant" or even a "smoky vanilla" ice cream flavor. The sesame seeds are ground up and mixed into the vanilla ice cream to create this dark cloud gray hue. The gray color alone would be enough to entice me to try out this black sesame seed flavor.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Savory Desserts
- The trend of combining salty and sweet flavors in desserts continues to disrupt traditional flavor profiles and create new and exciting taste experiences.
- International Flavor Influences
- As global cuisine becomes more mainstream, flavors once considered exotic will plant themselves firmly in North American markets while opening opportunities for new and innovative offerings.
- Unconventional Coloring
- Incorporating unconventional colors in food products, like gray in this sesame seed ice cream, is a way to create visual intrigue that sets a product apart from its competitors.
Where This Applies
- Ice Cream
- Ice cream manufacturers and retailers have the opportunity to innovate their flavor offerings by incorporating savory ingredients and international flavors into their product line.
- Desserts
- Dessert chefs and bakers can experiment with unconventional flavor pairings and coloring to create unique and memorable desserts that stand out in a crowded market.
- Snack Foods
- Snack food manufacturers can use unconventional colors and unique flavor combinations, like black sesame, to introduce new and exciting snacking options that catch consumer attention.
