If you have visited a few theme parks in the past, say, 10 years, chances are good that you have come across a product called Dippin' Dots. Dippin' Dots are small beads of ice cream (sorbet and yogurt are available, as well) that are frozen with liquid nitrogen. Described by the company as the "ice cream of the future," they come in a variety of flavors and are certainly novel to eat. The beads seem fairly "dry" in the serving cup, but melt once they're in your mouth.
Up until recently, the Dots were only available in theme parks and at fairs. The company then expanded to special vending machines and to retail outlets at many shopping malls. Keeping the supply limited was a good way to protect the novelty of their product, but now a new product called Dots n' Cream, which is a combination of Dippin' Dots and ice cream, will be carried at supermarkets.
Ice cream with bits of super-frozen ice cream? Sounds like a strange concept to me. I think one of the malls nearby just opened a Dippin' Dots store. I'll probably just head over there if I get the urge for some novelty frozen treats, but I can see how this would be a hit with kids since it's like bringing a bit of the theme park home.
New York Times Magazine's food issue
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-07-2006 @ 12:21PM
Kristina said...
Inasmuch as you can get an order of Dippin' Dots at your local McDonald's, I fail to see the novelty of it anymore. It's not even that good as you lose the sensory pleasure of digging a spoon into a bowl of frozen cream. I don't even get the point of this new Dots and Cream product. The ice cream of future, wrapped in the ice cream of the past? Frozen ice cream dots inside creamy ice cream blocks? Isn't this akin to serving a pepsi with diet pepsi ice cubes? I'll pass on this gimmicky item.
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6-07-2006 @ 1:54PM
yelena said...
i love dipping dots! they used to sell little packs of them in the vending machine of my local movie theatre a long time ago. i would love to be able to get them in a store. but the dippin' dots with ice cream? that sorta seems like a moot point.
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6-07-2006 @ 3:55PM
Baron said...
I think that it is the combination of the soft ice cream with the not so soft dots that really makes this work. I will be buying some if it comes to our local store. I remember 10 years back (had to be at least that long it seems) when these were in our mall and I LOVED them soooo much. I stopped buying them though b/c they kept on raising the price (same reason I don't tend to go to any ice cream shops as they are getting too high for anything other than a very occasional trip. I mean, when it is the same price for a cup of ice cream as it is for a half gallon in the store...). Anyway, the Dots are much better than regular ice cream in my opinion (other than some homemade flavors I really enjoy)! :)
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