VAMS Youth Council Explores Ice Cream Flavors!
By: Amanda C., VAMS Youth Council Member
Photos courtesy from various sources
Summer is just around the corner, in 57 days to be exact! For many students, summer means, hot and sunny days, pools, no school, vacation time, and my personal favorite; food! There are many different types of treats kids like to eat in the summer, a very popular one being Ice Cream. You probably know about the usual and basic flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Mint Chocolate Chip. These are actually the most popular flavors as well! Of course, there are many other flavors, like caramel, cotton candy, cookie dough, berry, and cereal too! Now, there are some other interesting flavors as well. Some call the flavors “exotic” and others “normal”.
Today we are going to be heading eastward, more specifically Asia. What are “normal” ice cream flavors in Asia? Well, let me tell you. There really aren’t any “normal/basic” flavors in Asia. Everything is super different and diverse with varieties of almost everything. Some yummy ones that are becoming popular in the U.S now are taro, ube, red bean, green tea, mango, pineapple, coconut, lychee, melon, durian, jackfruit, mung bean, and many more. VA Middle School Youth Council did a little research into our personal favorite “Asian” Ice Cream flavors and the results were: Durian, Mango, Taro, and Red Bean!
Durian is an extremely popular fruit in many Asian countries and has recently become famous worldwide due to its unique odor. Durian is considered “The King of Fruits” in many southeast Asian countries. Although the exterior may make you scared, the inside is filled with its delicious goods. A benefit to eating durian is tryptophan transfers to your melatonin which is a hormone that helps you fall asleep. It’s also rich in potassium which helps your blood pressure. Mango, our other favorite, has high levels of Vitamin C and Fibers which are perfect for regulating high cholesterol levels. Red Bean, in addition to having protein and fiber, they are also a great source of iron. This helps move oxygen throughout your body and is great for the immune system. Lastly, taro. Taro root plays a huge part in antioxidant activity in our body. One main benefit is that taro helps a lot with digestion.
Although eating these yummy flavors on a cone or from a bowl doesn’t really mean we are eating the actual fruit, it’s cool anyways to have a favorite “exotic” Ice Cream flavor, or to at least learn about and try them. Besides, you can just believe you are getting all these benefits while enjoying these treats!!
Now you can brag to your friends and family about your knowledge on the many other different types of flavors, or you could go to a local Asian mart and buy these flavors to try them for yourself. Don’t worry though, they may not only be sold exclusively in these marts for long. As the popularity with these unique Ice Cream flavors continues to grow, they will probably become just as popular as the other “normal” flavors. For now, just go out and try these flavors. Count up how many flavors you’ve tried. There are hundreds of them!