I love ice cream. At least I remember loving ice cream, but I have a suspicion that ice cream makers are pulling a fast one on consumers these days. Lately I’ve noticed, in several ice cream shops in different cities and states, as well as in store-bought ice cream of some well-known brands, that the colors are vivid but the flavors are not.
My suspicion is that flavoring ice cream costs much more than coloring ice cream and, therefore, to increase profit margins, ice cream makers are using food coloring to make ice cream look chocolatey, for example, but are skimping on the cocoa that really makes chocolate taste chocolatey.
If I take a lick or a bite of chocolate-colored ice cream, my sensory memory will kick in and possibly supply the momentary taste of chocolate even when the ice cream itself contains little or no cocoa or other chocolate flavoring.
I haven’t researched this issue. It’s just a feeling I have and a series of experiences of disappointment that what looks like a great ice cream flavor or has a name that implies a great ice cream flavor turns out to be relatively flavorless.
If this experience continues, I may be forced to start making my own ice cream!
Am I alone in this, or are others feeling let down by what looks like tasty ice cream but tastes like meh?