Häagen-Dazs - Sweet Cream Coffee Caramel

Sweet Cream Coffee Caramel - Sweet Cream Ice Cream with a Chicory Coffee Caramel Swirl

Today, we discuss another of the new Häagen-Dazs "Destination Series" flavors - Sweet Cream Coffee Caramel.  The Destination Series gives Häagen-Dazs a chance to try out new flavor combinations.  Here they have partnered with the Berkeley-based at CC Made to infuse a chicory coffee caramel swirl into a sweet cream to provide a taste of New Orleans.  Indeed the swirl is based on one of the sauces available at CC Made.  

The use of chicory and its association with New Orleans coffee intrigues me.  I had never heard of chicory before eating this pint.  Chicory is the root of the plant species Chicorium Intybus.  It has been around since the days of ancient Egypt where it was used as a medicinal herb.  In the last few centuries, it has often been used as a substitute for coffee when there supply of coffee was limited (often because of war).  In New Orleans, coffee supplies were cut off during the time of Napoleon because of a 'Continental Blockade' that the emperor initiated in 1808.  After the blockade was lifted, the people of New Orleans continued to use chicory as a coffee additive because they had grown to enjoy the flavor.

On to the ice cream!  Removing the lid shows quiet a bit of thick swirl visible on the very top.  The plastic wrapper that Häagen-Dazs places on the top gives it a bit of a squished appearance, though.  Eating down into the pint reveals a more striking marbling of the swirl.  Very beautiful.  Taste-wise the swirl mixes coffee and caramel as one would expect but the caramel also has a bit of a burnt or toasted flavor and there is a bit of a bitter kick to it as well.  I am not a coffee afficianado but the bit of a bitter kick might be the chicory?  Not sure.

It was an interesting pint.  It reminded me a bit of the Coffee Caramel Buzz flavor, there the kick came from whiskey instead of chicory.  I'm certainly glad I tried this flavor, but I'm not a coffee junkie so I didn't absolutely love it.  Still, the added twists of the chicory and caramel made it quite a bit more interesting that the usual pint of coffee ice cream.  If you are a coffee junkie and are interested in something besides either plain coffee ice cream or the standard coffee-and-chocolate combination then check this one out.