Milkjam Creamery - Shosho

Shosho - Mango Ice Cream with Pistachio Swirl and Rose Petal Toffee

Today is another one of Milkjam Creamery's February flavors (instagram link here).  This flavor is called Shosho (instagram link here).  The name of the flavor is the nickname for the mother of Milkjam's Chef Sameh.  That's fun!  This flavor features a mango ice cream with a swirl of pistachio and rose petal toffee.  This is a fairly eclectic mix of flavors!  It is fun to see what mixes well with mango.  Checking my flavor archive for mango, I see a Jeni's flavor with cheesecake, a Milkjam flavor with habanera and raspberry cardamom and a few flavors that just add spice (like a mango salsa).  Let's see how pistachio and rose petal toffee tastes with it.

Removing the lid, the mango base has a yellowish color to it.  It is not as deep of a yellowish orange as other mango bases.  Already on top I can see a lot of mix-ins.  The green of the pistachio can be clearly seen as well as some other mix-ins which I assume are the rose petal toffee.  Digging in, the mango base is quite good.  It is a bit milder than many mango bases, but I think that is done intentionally here to balance with the flavor of the mix-ins.  The crushed pistachios are soft and I can taste that distinct pistachio flavor.  The toffee pieces provide something to chew on.  If I focus, I can taste a little bit of the rose petal flavor but it is not intense.

This is a fun and unique flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  After years of blogging ice cream reviews, I appreciate new and interesting flavor combinations.  Both pistachio and mango are often just delivered by themselves, so it is fun to see them complementing each other here.  I have seen rose or rosewater blended with pistachio a few times (McConnell's Rosewater & Pistachio, Pumphouse's Kulfi, and Milkjam's previous Pistachio Halva flavor).  Does it work with a mango base?  I think so.

Milkjam Creamery - Drunk in Love

Drunk in Love - Sparkling Rosé & Hibiscus Sorbet with Edible Flowers

 

Today I return to Minneapolis's Milkjam Creamery.  I am continuing my run through their February flavors (instagram link here).  In previous years, I reviewed two of the flavors:  XOXO and I ♥ You.  Last week I reviewed a third flavor called Ruby Rose.  Today is the fourth and final February flavor and it is called Drunk in Love (instagram link here).  This is a non-dairy sorbet flavored with hibiscus and sparkling rosé wine.  It also has edible flowers inside.  I have never had edible flowers in an ice cream before, but I guess hibiscus is an edible flower and I have had hibiscus flavors before (from Talenti and McConnell's).  So I guess the flowers in here are probably larger chunks of hibiscus.  Let's check it out.

Opening the pint, the color is an almost fluorescent pink.  It looks like the color of bubble gum.  It smells fruity, too.  Digging in, I can taste the rosé wine and the strawberry-like flavor of the hibiscus.  It has a very soft and easy-to-scoop texture.  Sometimes sorbets can be hard, dense and icy, but this is quite smooth. This is delicious!  The flowers small and are fun to look at, but they don't provide a change in texture when I'm eating.  There is a hint of alcohol noticeable from the rosé but this is not a boozy pint.  The effects of the rosé being 'sparkling' is fairly minor.

I enjoyed this sorbet quite a bit.  Hibiscus is not a common flavor, but do not fear it.  It has a pleasing flavor.  Milkjam's instagram post describes it as being reminiscent of strawberry and watermelon and I can definitely see that comparison.  The rosé gives it a touch of an adultness (a virgin version of this flavor would be great for kids).  It is late winter here.  If you are in the mood for something fruity to tide you over before the warmer weather comes, check this out.