Waking up practically drowning in sweat these days, even my own skin is beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic. I can barely convince myself to get dressed in the morning, let alone venture outdoors to face the unforgiving elements. The summer seems to have arrived early this year, inflicting upon us such oppressive heat and humidity that I truly fear what conditions July might exhibit. Clearly I’m a New England sorta gal, better suited to freezing winds than muggy stagnant air, but I still can’t figure out for the life of me why so many people prefer this hellish season. What is it that they possess and I lack, besides the ability to relax poolside? If there might be one singular thing that I could point to, I believe that the answer may very well revolve around ice cream.
Having had mixed experience at best with frozen soy-based desserts, I’m still reluctant to pluck a new product of this sort off the shelf. Not too long ago though, a number of factors converged and drove me to sample some of the fruit-sweetened pints by Soy Delicious. First and foremost, the convenience factor paired with my desperate desire to cool off prevented me from leaving the freezer section empty-handed, but good words about this company reverberated in my head, assuring me that it wasn’t mediocre like so many well-intentioned but lack-luster choices. What really sealed the deal, however, was when I spied a pint of green tea ice “cream.”
Let me make this perfectly clear: I adore green tea and green tea-flavored desserts. It is such a sad state of affairs that most Americans don’t share my passion for this flavor, which is why discovering any commercial product that can boast such a sweet are a disappointing rarity. Upon spying this incredible find in my local health food store, I bought 3 pints on the spot and sprinted straight to the register, eager to secure my treasure and dish it out. Haphazardly slopping the contents of my grocery bags into all the wrong storage spaces when I got home, it was the most I could do to control myself and spoon it into a separate dish, as I would have just as happily dug straight into the container.
Savoring every drop, the dusty moss-colored ice “cream” melted slowly over my joyful taste buds. So smooth and creamy, the thought of this being a good substitute never crossed my mind – This was identical to the real thing, as far as I’m concerned. Delicately flavored with the complexities and nuances of authentic maccha and not a hint of bitterness to be found, it was accompanied by the perfect amount of sweetness. Faint whispers of vanilla lingered quietly in the background, and the resulting harmony throughout could put any imitator to shame. If I possibly could, I would fill my freezer with nothing but this frozen delicacy and eat it for every meal. Hell, I love it so much, I’d bathe in it if I could!
Uncertain that anything could even compare to the green tea delight that I was still in rapture over, I was reluctant to sample any other flavors. Sadly, it wasn’t long before my supply ran out, and as that small market has now mysteriously stopped stocking it just as suddenly as it arrived, so I had no choice but to move on.
Thankfully, if there was ever a flavor that I might be able to muster nearly as much enthusiasm for, it would be coffee. A self-proclaimed addict, the traditional hot drink holds sway over my mind like no other substance. Figuring that the espresso flavor might be able fill the hole in my freezer, I snatched up a pint as soon as I had the chance. Luckily, I was not disappointed; Deep, dark roasted coffee beans seemed to be infused into the frozen “cream” itself, as it could speak volumes in terms of the gourmet flavors enthusiasts are always after. Still, it was somehow light and not unctuous or overly rich, so it was still a wonderfully refreshing treat. Modestly sweetened, I could scarcely believe that I hadn’t found this creamy delight sooner. Truly, I’d take this over an iced latte any day!
There are so many other flavors on the market by Soy Delicious, this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg as to their full potential. Armed with this knowledge and some damn tasty vegan ice cream, the summer isn’t looking so miserable, after all.
i think the Soy Delicious green tea is actually better than real green tea ice cream. the dairy mutes the flavours of green tea in “real ice cream”.
i know they are overpriced and a not a first choice, but most Whole Foods/Fresh Fields/Bread and Circus carry the majority of the soy delicious line. you can also speak to a manager at your local place. sometimes they just need positive feedback to confirm products will move.
I am not a fan of the fruit-sweetened line of Soy Delicious. However, I can swear up and down that the Purely Decadent line is the best soy ice cream EVER!!! Even the vanilla is perfect, and then there’s the wonderful mint chocolate, in which the chocolate is shavings instead of chunks so that it’s much easier on the teeth. There’s peanut butter palooka, turtle road, something about bananas, and many other lucious flavors.
Oh, I don’t know if it was clear but the Purely Decadent line is by Soy Delicous.
I’ve always liked the SoyDelicious flavors, with the exception of one of their Chocolate offerings — tasted too sweet and a bit fakey. Other than that, all of their stuff rocks!
I get mine at Trader Joe’s, they’re a tad less expensive than Whole Foods. I’m blessed, though — got one of each two blocks apart from each other in my neighborhood. Good call, I’ll hunt for the Green Tea first!
I have never tasted anything Soy! I know I live a very sheltered life!! But after reading about this ice “cream” I just may have to go to Trader Joe’s and get some of this yummy sounding ice cream!! I love ice cream!
Thank you for opening my eyes to trying something different! I will let you know this week end how good the ice cream is!!
That is the most perfect looking scoop of ice cream I have ever seen! I haven’t tried the fruit sweetened line, but may have to give that green tea a shot.
Yes, Whole Foods will actually special order foods in for you without a charge.
Wow. I really DON’T like the SD Green Tea. So much so that there’s a pint in my freezer and it’s been there a looong time. I’m sad I don’t like it. Green Tea flavor rocks for frozen desserts (except that one, imho).
I’m all about the Peanut Butter ZigZag, which is a Purely Decadent flavor. Yum! I gave a non-vegan pal of mine a taste of regular old chocolate SD at a café here in town and she made faces, but when I presented her with Peanut Butter zigzag and Cookies and Cream (PD also), she loved them.
K, I’m off to the freezer now… y’all are bad influences! ;);)
Oh, i hope my local health food store sells the green tea cream, but my favourite so far is the Purely Decadent Chocolate Obsesson cream (or something similar to that name). Just devine. I love this brand too, so much smoother than the others i’ve tried. In my house, too, the pint is finished fast!
I have yet to try SD green tea, but absolutely love SD Purely Decadent. Ice cream is the one thing that I cannot seem to live without, so I had to quickly find an alternative when my body decided to vote cow’s milk. I can get it several places, Trader Joe’s, Kroger (in there specialtity food section) and even Walmart carries Chocolate and Vanilla. I am so glad that you have found one to enjoy also!!
I’ve been making my own ice-cream and sorbet’s recently – and really enjoying them. Here’s a recipe for Pear & Jasmine Tea Sorbet: http://grevillea.wordpress.com/recipes/pear-jasmine-tea-sorbet/
I just had to let you know that my family and I tried some of this “ice cream” in Chocolate because that was all the Trader Joe’s had! My dad & I just love it! Dad thought for not being like the dairy ice cream that it was pretty dang good! I thought it was great! I will have to go and look at another Trade Joes’s to see if they have different flavors! Thanks so much for your wonderful review!