KEEP IT COOL
HARD TO BEAT BITTERSWEET
Ice cream and bitterness may not seem symbiotic , but rich cream counteracts stringent notes while ingredients like coffee or beer balance overt sweetness . A match ( a ) made in heaven , bitter flavours bring out the complexity of frozen desserts .
Delivering the comforting indulgence of a creamy specialty coffee but for a summer day , a scoop of cappuccino gelato from Eva ’ s Gelato and Coffee Bar ( above ) ups the ante by transferring espresso from mug to cone . Bold bitterness gains extra depth when paired with silky Argentinean gelato .
Made from premium , youngpicked tea leaves from Japan ,
Prairie West ’ s green tea ice cream ( left ) is steeped in full-bodied flavour . Robust matcha — the tea ’ s chlorophyll offers hints of freshly cut grass — adds a hit of enticing umami to 100 % Canadian cream .
Dairy is an effective antidote to spicy foods , binding with oily capsaicin ( the active component in chiles that generates heat ) and helping to wash it down . When combined with ice cream , peppers and chiles — and even spices like cardamon or ginger — playfully offset ice-cold sweetness .
Dug and Betty ’ s Ice Creamery ’ s strawberry balsamic honey and black pepper ice cream ( above ) transforms in flavour as it meets the palate . Manitoban strawberries burst with sweetness , savoury balsamic syrup cuts through the cream and piquant cracked pepper blooms into a subtle warmth that lingers at the back of the throat .
The coconut milk-based vegan ice cream from Black Market Provisions acts as a velvety foundation for luxurious flavour . The Thai-phoon ( below ) recalls a sunny beach getaway , with pieces of dried mango stirred into a lime- and lemongrass-infused base . Crystallized ginger supplies bright pops of heat .
Smoky , sour and certainly spicy , the grapefruit , rosemary and jalapeño Pop Cart popsicle tastes like an exquisitely pepped-up paloma . Cayenne contains more capsaicin than jalapeño , so just a sprinkling transforms the chocolate coconut sea salt pop ( right ). Earthy undertones support smooth chocolate and sweet , sultry heat to powerful effect .
26 ciao ! / summer / two thousand twenty-one