Would You Be Willing to Try These Odd Ice Cream Flavors?

Hidden Valley Ranch flavored ice cream?

It's summer in Massachusetts and no doubt, we all have our favorite ice cream shops to get out and enjoy the cool and creamy snack. Nothing beats the heat like a cold cone of chocolate or vanilla ice cream on a summer night.

If you're spending the night in, though, you might head to the local grocery store to grab a pint to bring home. There are plenty to choose from these days, but one of the newest brands on local shelves might have you doing a double take.

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It started last year when I was at the Walmart in North Dartmouth and I came across a pint of ice cream in the freezer section that stopped me dead in my tracks:

Grey Poupon.

That's right. The mustard.

The Limited Edition pint of ice cream, with salted pretzels, was the most bizarre flavor I had ever seen in a supermarket and I thought about getting it just to try. In the end, it seemed too risky and I passed. I mean, mustard flavored ice cream?

A few months later, at a different local grocery store, the plain-yet-colorful brand caught my eye. This time, the flavor seemed just as absurd as the last:

Earl Grey Tea.

Turns out, the New York-based company Van Leeuwen that was started by two brothers and their roommate back in 2008 has a history of peculiar ice cream flavors to its credit. Starting as an ice cream truck selling their product on the streets of New York City, the company created a recipe based on natural ingredients, but with a spin.

Partnerships with Kraft for a Mac and Cheese-flavored ice cream and Hidden Valley Ranch have pushed the flavor boundaries of this traditional dessert.

While some of their flavors are not too daring, like Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake and Red Velvet, their Pizza-flavored ice cream, made with a mozzarella base and basil, might be too much for some.

This past week at Stop and Shop in Somerset, they had some more traditional flavors such as Cookies and Cream and Praline Butter Cake, but I have seen Champagne and Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll flavors there in the past.

Some other off the wall flavors that I have seen locally include Lemon Poppyseed Muffin, Arizona Green Tea, Honey Comb, Buttermilk Berry Cornbread and Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole.

Would you consider trying any of these flavors next time you're at the grocery store? Let us know by commenting on this story on our Facebook page or sending us a message via our app.

Fun fact: According to the U.S. Census, the average American eats about 20 pounds of ice cream each year.