There are those who might say these concoctions are sold in innovative ice cream parlours, while others say they’re more similar to a dog’s dinner. In any event, today we’re going to look at what we believe to be a wonderful culinary extravagance full of unusual flavours.
We’re going to explore some of the most bizarre ice cream parlours in Spain with flavours a million miles from the typical chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Artisans who have tried to freeze typical and traditional Spanish dishes like the potato omelette or piquillo peppers. Creativity and eccentricity for the astonishment of all who dare to try them.
We begin on the east coast of Spain, in the city of Valencia, and stop off at Llinares. An ice cream parlour owned by two brothers who decided to turn the traditional Asturian fabada into ice cream. They have also created other peculiar ice cream flavours like anchovies in vinegar, olives, and cucumber.
Next up, we head north to Bilbao to Nossi-Bé, where we find kalimotxo ice cream, a combination of red wine and coca cola with a texture closer to sorbet than ice cream.100% Basque. Nossi-Bé also sells other ice cream flavours like Iberian ham, cuttlefish, and smoked salmon.
A little further west in Asturias we have Islandia, a family run business that’s been making ice cream for more than half a century. The master ice cream makers here have tried practically everything, but we’d like to highlight their popcorn, cider, spider crab, and Cabrales cheese ice cream. Not too far way in La Rioja, we want to give a special mention to the Andrés Sirvent ice cream parlour in Calahorra, where vegetables from Cuenca del Ebro have been transformed into delicious ice cream. Here, we’re talking about piquillo pepper ice cream that they’ve mixed with a milk base and some sugar to make it an enticing factor to visit the region.
In Madrid, it seems they’ve gone all out, the people at 1977 Iced Things have created an anchovy ice cream using liquid nitrogen.
We can’t finish without taking a look at what’s happening in the ice cream world in the south of Spain. In Seville, La Fiorentina ice cream parlour has managed to synthesise a magical orange blossom and rosemary ice cream, and they also serve saffron and olive oil flavours. The Verdú ice cream parlour, also in Seville, makes one of the fantasies of all Feria de Abril fans, rebujito (a cocktail that mixes sherry and soft drinks and is typical at the Seville fair).
