The Haagen-Dazs Topic

[Misa]

My favorite is vanilla. Plain, I know, but it is my favorite.

[blork]

Vanilla is not plain... it's sublime! ;-)

I used to love HD coffee flavor to the point of it being dangerous. Then I discovered they made it in frozen yogurt, which was almost as good and far less sinful.

Alas, I haven't seen HD frozen yogurt in years! Even the ice cream is hard to find around here (Montreal). Most of the flavors I see are not very interesting to me -- I prefer somewhat "pure" flavors, where the richness really shows, than flavors that are full of nuts and bolts and other gimmicks.

Then, last year I discovered dolce de leche. Oh my!

[blork]

to be precise, I haven't seen HD COFFEE flavor frozen yogurt in years...

[prasantrin]

I bought a couple of single serving containers of Haagen Dazs today.

Mango Coconut--at first it reminded me of Banana Boat sunscreen. But then it grew on me. Pronounced coconut flavour--quite creamy. Yet slightly artificial tasting. I probably wouldn't get it again.

Panacotta Raspberry--caveat--I don't like raspberries. Upon first glance, it looks rather ordinary. However, it is absolutely delicious! Not too sweet (as many HD flavours are) and perfectly creamy. The raspberry flavour isn't too tart. I loved it!

[pattimw]

HD now has a line of reduced fat ice creams. I have tried the Dutch Chocolate and Vanilla and am very impressed. WAY better than the Fro yo. Higher in fat, but a great compromise between the regular and frozen yogurt.

[bushey]

Does anyone remember HD Carob ice cream?

I used to eat a pint almost every night my freshman year of college....well, okay, sometimes I would switch to Strawberry instead :~).

[Mistinguett]

The last two flavors I tried: White chocolate raspberry truffle (good, but not as good as Godiva's) and Dulce de Leche Light - I think I like it more than the regular, I'll have to try more to make sure.

[Pan]

I tried a new flavor today, Caramel Cone.

As stated on the Haages Dazs website:

this creamy blend of caramel ice cream with rich caramel swirls balances the sweet crunch of chocolate-covered cone pieces for a harmony of caramel, chocolate and crunch in every bite

It really was pleasant.

[maui420]

my wife likes the praline pecan special edition but they stopped making it. basically its pecan in Dulce de Leche. i like the bananas fosters.

[Jenny McClure]

I am not an ice-cream fan, (give me a good bar of chocolate any day) but I can alwyas be tempted by the Strawberry Cheesecake flvour. I'm surprised no-one has mentioned it. I do like the Mango Sorbet once in a while also.

[menton1]

Just a note of business news: the giant ice cream house Dreyer's (Not to be confused with Breyer's) controls about 85% of the mass-distributed ice creams in the US today. Dreyer's is actually partners with Nestle, and that now includes Haagen Dazs, Edys, Dreamery, Godiva, Starbucks, and Healthy Choice. Unilever controls most of the rest including Ben & Jerry's and Breyer's.

Of course, it is a secret where all these brands are made and just how much crossover there is. No wonder these premium brands mostly taste the same these days!! (Ahhh, if only it could be like Italy, with artisinal Gelato stands on every corner...!!!)

Edited May 25, 2005 by menton1 (log)

[Pan]

[...](Ahhh, if only it could be like Italy, with artisinal Gelato stands on every corner...!!!)

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Of course! If I were in Italy, I'd have gelato most every night and never eat Haagen-Dazs. But we're not in Italy anymore, Dorothy.

[ludja]

The last two flavors I tried: White chocolate raspberry truffle (good, but not as good as Godiva's) and Dulce de Leche Light - I think I like it more than the regular, I'll have to try more to make sure. 

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At a local art fair last weekend there was a Haagen-Dazs booth set up giving out free samples of Dulce de Leche Light.

Don't know how they would compare in a one-on-one comparison (Light vs Not) but I was amazed at the taste. Without a direct comparison there was no way to tell (for me) it was a "light" ice cream. Next time I'm at the store I'll have to check what the caloric difference is between the two.

[Sfuffy]

Just a note of business news:  the giant ice cream house Dreyer's (Not to be confused with Breyer's) controls about 85% of the mass-distributed ice creams in the US today.  Dreyer's is actually partners with Nestle, and that now includes Haagen Dazs, Edys, Dreamery, Godiva, Starbucks, and Healthy Choice.  Unilever controls most of the rest including Ben & Jerry's and Breyer's. 

Of course, it is a secret where all these brands are made and just how much crossover there is.  No wonder these premium brands mostly taste the same these days!!  (Ahhh, if only it could be like Italy, with artisinal Gelato stands on every corner...!!!)

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Actually, when Dreyer's & Nestle combined their ice cream operations (Nestle is now the majority owner of Dreyer's and is in the process of buying them up in total), Dreyer's was forced to sell off the Dreamery and Godiva brands. They're now produced by a company call Coolbrands Intl., which produces Eskimo Pies, among other novelties, and is the franchiser for Swensen's and I Can't Believe It's Yogurt.

According to this story in today's LA Times, Dreyer's has 23% of the US ice cream market to Unilever's 22%.

[Cook456]

My favorites are:

Pralines and Cream - buttery pralines in ducle de leche

Swiss Vanilla Almond - Chocolate covered almonds in that wonderful vanilla ice cream

Coffee

Rum Raisin- nothing like it... drunkin raisins, in rum laced ice cream

Boysenberry Sorbet

hated that Honey Ice Cream.

[Susan G]

.........another vote for Pineapple Coconut.

[SobaAddict70]

Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry all the way for me.

Sometimes simple is best.

I really believe that these are the standards by which an ice cream brand or maker should be judged.

[Pan]

[...]Swiss  Vanilla Almond - Chocolate covered almonds in that wonderful vanilla ice cream[...]

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It's actually Vanilla Swiss Almond, and I just had some. It's an old favorite of mine.

[Pan]

I recently tried a new flavor: almond hazelnut swirl ice cream. It includes hazelnut paste and little almond bits, and it tastes like a kind of poor man's hazelnut gelato. Since I loved hazelnut gelato (usually cioccolato e nocciola) in Italy, I can enjoy this Haagen-Dazs flavor here.

I also noticed an alluring new flavor on the Haagen-Dazs website: english toffee ice cream. I want some of that! Anyone tried it yet? I haven't seen it in stores so far.

[annecros]

I recently tried a new flavor: almond hazelnut swirl ice cream. It includes hazelnut paste and little almond bits, and it tastes like a kind of poor man's hazelnut gelato. Since I loved hazelnut gelato (usually cioccolato e nocciola) in Italy, I can enjoy this Haagen-Dazs flavor here.

I also noticed an alluring new flavor on the Haagen-Dazs website: english toffee ice cream. I want some of that! Anyone tried it yet? I haven't seen it in stores so far.

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The Almond Hazelnut Swirl is my husband's "go to" flavor. He is really the number one ice cream consumer in the household. He used to be a devoted Ben and Jerry's fan, Wavy Gravy to be exact, but he decided to convert to HD when Pillsbury took over B&J, and hasn't been back in some time.

[JohnL]

Yes, I know some of you are artisanal ice cream makers and wouldn't touch any mass-produced product in a million years. This thread is not for you.

I am not ashamed to tell you that I am a long-time fan of Haagen-Dazs. Artisanal gelato it's not, but I can get it at any hour of the day or night at my corner store, and it puts a smile on my face.

Back in my college years, the late, lamented Elberta Peach was my favorite for everyday (well, everynight) eating, Rum Raisin when getting a buzz (yes, I still get a slight buzz off the rum in it!) was OK, and Vanilla Swiss Almond to share with my roommate (still a friend after all these years).

Nowadays, I have their frozen yogurt more often than ice cream. Less fat (fewer calories, too, but who's counting?    ), easier on my stomach, but admittedly not as tasty. For frozen yogurt, I go for Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Fudge Brownie. But when I go for ice cream, the Dulce de Leche is lovely (much creamier and more satisfying than the yogurt!), and I still sometimes get Rum Raisin (though it's a little hard on my digestion). Today, I tried a new one: Mocha Almond Fudge. I looked at the ingredients to ascertain that there wasn't much coffee in it, because I didn't want an overpowering coffee taste. Verdict? It's very good. I could actually stand for there to be somewhat more coffee taste, but it's good stuff, and I'll no doubt get it again.

So, what's your favorite flavor?

You can look at the Haagen-Dazs website for reference and pure enjoyment. Their front page is featuring "Triple Chocolate" now. I don't think I've seen that one yet . . .

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I was heartened to see this thread.

First--I am not sure what the difference is between "artisanal" and "mass produced"--a product is either good or bad to me regardless of the quantity in which it is produced.

(yes many finer items turn out to be produced in small quantities vs those produced in large quantities).

Second--Haagen Dasz (when I "discovered" it) first started appearing in the seventies in Deli's in the Bronx--I believe it was produced in relatively small quantities in the Bronx.

Third--I am amazed, but after being bought and sold by major food conglomerates--the basic formula and quality of the ingredients seem to be unchanged.

It is also produced in much larger quantities and, there are many more flavors.--benefits of being "large." (unlike Breyer's--a once very fine ice cream which has suffered since being bought and sold).

I believe that HD stands up well against any ice cream made anywhere.

I do not understand the comparisons to gelato these are two different products.

IMOP--one main fact makes HD stand out in today's market--the fact that it is not made with stabilizers!

Just about every other packaged brand of ice cream is made with guar gum and other so called "natural" additives. Along with flavor--I believe--consistency it critical. Most other ice creams have an off putting "chewiness" to them. They don't melt uniformly.

Also key is the quality of the ingredients, especially the flavorings--strawberry tastes like real strawberries, vanilla like real vanilla, chocolate---etc etc.

And--HD is not too sweet--many competitors are marred by cloying sweetness--there is a subtlety to HD.

To me--HD is about as good as ice cream gets.--the overall quality and ingredients are excellent--they get the basics right! (and throw in the fact that it is easily obtainable and is made in a large variety of flavors).

[mukki]

Caramel Cone

Vanilla Bean (much tastier than plain vanilla)

Chocolate Peanut Butter (though I end up fishing through for peanut butter parts)

Black Walnut

Will definitely try the Hazelnut Almond combo next time...

HD is the best ice cream out there that I've tried. Better than Dr. Bob's, Connelley's. The Vanilla Bean hands down beat my homemade version. And I see that they've got brownie ice cream bars, too.

Hilary

[misstenacity]

Has anyone ever gotten a buzz off Rum Raisin? I ate a whole pint of it several months ago and I swear I felt just a wee little bit of giddiness....

Perhaps it was just the sugar, but I dunno.... I *am* a lightweight in the alcohol department. *grin*

Andrea

http://foodpart.com

[misstenacity]

Ooh. Just checked the HD website and found this blurb about an upcoming flavor in their Holiday 2005 Newsletter:

"new Mayan Chocolate

We’ve returned to the origins of chocolate - rich chocolate ice cream with a hint of cinnamon. In stores in 2006."

Here's the Newsletter link.

As for Ben & Jerry's, I like Chunky Monkey & Cherry Garcia (and even lived a brief period in college on Blueberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt - how I miss that flavor!), and I'm definitely tempted by the oatmeal cookie flavor since I LOVE oatmeal, but I avoid them because as a company I think they have done some questionable practices (like the CEO fiasco, etc.) as well as having lots of stabilizers in their ice cream formulas.

Andrea

http://foodpart.com

[Kouign Aman]

Original loves (20+ yrs ago):

vanilla

coffee

strawberry.

Eaten from the container, shaving off thin slices with the edge of my spoon.

For about 2 years, I ate a pint of vanilla every saturday morning after workout. Usually sitting in the sun in my driveway. It was the only food I could think about without feeling nauseous after 4+ hours of heavy-duty training.

Rum raisin for special occasions (yes, I can get a mild buzz off it).

New(ish) love

Dulce de Leche. They dont seem to freeze HD as rock-hard as they used to. I still love the 4 listed above also.

With icecream flavors as good as HDs, I dont like all the add-in bits, and I dont like their chocolate flavors as they taste too 'cocoa-y' to me.

The first flavor I tasted was honey vanilla. I thought the honey and the vanilla competed with each other, but the texture won me completely.