How ice cream brings us together
I had a moment with the ice cream man the other day. Pascal and I have been getting on quite nicely–we ça va each other every time I wander up to order another cornet. But this time, I achieved what every ice cream seeker is secretly wishing for: a free scoop. I ordered pear and basic chocolate, inspired by a recent dessert at work. Pascal inquired as to whether I’d prefer dark chocolate–nope, I’d already tried that one! And then, ignoring my protests, he gave me a scoop of dark chocolate in addition to my pear and basic chocolate.
It’s moments like this that make my heart smile about being in Nice. There are days when I miss home, when I miss the feeling of belonging to a place–and then the ice cream man makes me feel like I’m not just another English-speaker trying to fit in here.
I’ll admit that I’m a bit behind on the challenge of the cornet, but I haven’t admitted defeat just yet. Here are the latest flavors.
Poire/Pear: Absolutely delicious. Tastes like biting into a big, juicy, very cold pear on a hot summer day. Delightful paired with chocolate.
Chocolat/Chocolate: While I was preparing myself for just another scoop of chocolate ice cream, this definitely surpassed my expectations. There are tons of little bits of real chocolate mixed in with the ice cream, a pleasant surprise for the taste buds.
Chocolat blanc/ White chocolate: Yum. I’m generally not a big white chocolate fan, but this was a smoother, lighter version of chocolate on a hot day.
Lavande /Lavender: This is actually a fairly common flavoring found in the South of France, thanks to the rolling lavender fields in Provence. I’ve tried lavender crème brulée, but this was my first ice cream–and I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t just a kitsch flavor, but one that I would actually order again.
Guava: My mom used to buy me guava juice every once in a while growing up as a treat, and I’ve always loved the flavor. It’s always the first thing I put in the cart on family trips to Hawaii: the tropical fruit is one of my favorites. And the guava sorbet at Fennochio tasted just like what I remember: fresh, sweet and just a hint of tanginess.
Pina Colada: Another one of my childhood favorites: I loved making the virgin version of the frozen mix as an apéritif (or dessert!). The ice cream was a similar treat: cold and icy, full of flavor, and lacking that (oh-so-important) rum.
Flavors tried: 29
Flavors left to try: 64
