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On my way home from Big Sur, I stopped in Gilroy, a small city known for its over-abundance of garlic and annual Garlic Festival. There, I stretched, inhaled whiffs of humid garlic infused air, and sampled Marianne's Chocolate Garlic Ice Cream.
Wishing to enjoy my ice cream, I denied the fact that locust bean gum follows garlic on the listed ingredients. Something about locust bean gum doesn't sound very appetizing. Must be the word locust: one of the 10 plagues visited upon the Hebrews when my people fought for our freedom from Egyptian bondage. So I tossed the lid in a trashcan, pretended I hadn't studied it, perched myself on an outdoor picnic table, watched cars zip by, and tasted my cup of Marianne's Chocolate Garlic Ice Cream.
I wasn't thrilled. I was "meh." I suspect it's not the locust bean gum that killed it for me, though that didn't help. This ice cream is just too garlic-y for my taste. I like garlic, but I had to struggle to taste the chocolate. Where chocolate's concerned, I do not want a struggle. In short, this marriage of flavors should head for divorce court. I can't recommend it.
Years ago, at Gilroy's Garlic Festival, I ate vanilla garlic ice cream. If memory serves me, and it rarely does, vanilla garlic ice cream tastes better than chocolate garlic ice cream. I advise avoiding both.
For the novelty factor, and for you (so that I could warn you to steer clear), it was worth a try. I'll give Marianne's Garlic Chocolate Ice Cream a 4 on a 1-10 scale.
Ever been to Gilroy or the Gilroy Garlic Festival?
Ever tried garlic ice cream? Would you?
What's your take on locust bean gum?
Have a great, locust-free new week!
Carob bean gum (another name for locust bean) sounds much more better.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love garlic, and love (good) chocolate but would tend to keep the two not only separate but hidden from each other.
Ok, just the name kind of turns me off. I cannot imagine the taste....but I am almost positive I would say "What the &#@%!" and then pop a mint.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Blessings, Joanne
I love garlic. I love chocolate. I would not mix them together. And locust bean gum still has to be more appealing than civet coffee, right? (If you're unfamiliar, it's coffee that's pooped out by civets, because who doesn't love poop coffee?)
ReplyDeleteGarlic in ice cream? No, no, no! Not for your fairy kingdom! Don't be prejudiced against locusts though. John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey, and he was a righteous Jew before he converted to Christianity.
ReplyDeleteI really like garlic but I think as an ice cream flavor it would be a big fail. You have confirmed my suspicions.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I adore each of those flavors, I just can't picture myself enjoying them together.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking one for the team! You're a trooper.
Yeah, I've been to gilroy many a time, and they are a little too proud of their garlic and garlic concoctions. Just because you have an over-abundance of garlic doesn't then mean that garlic should be mixed with everything. Garlic ice cream isn't exactly the same as mixing sweet and savory.
ReplyDeleteI love garlic and I love ice cream but that's a big fat NO on the combination of the two :)
ReplyDeletegarlic and ice cream sounds wrong. Based on comments, I think we agree that is not a combo. Oh well. You tried it....that's what counts.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of garlic. Really big fan. I made garlic hummus the other day. Yummy! Would I want it in my ice cream…hmmm. Not sure but you're brave for giving it a go.
ReplyDeleteI love garlic but garlic ice cream just sounds disgusting.
ReplyDeleteGarlic as ice cream made me curl my nose up at the thought. What next? Cow testicle ice cream, yummy!
ReplyDeleteGarlic ice cream, no thank you. As for locust bean gum, nothing to do with locusts which are basically big crickets, however it is a fixative and preserver. It also sweetens things, they use it in Mascarpone cheese produced in North America,m and I will not buy it because of the sweetening effect. I buy the original from Italy.
ReplyDeleteGarlic and chocolate are not two flavours that I would put together, no. But thank you for being our brave guinea pig and taste-testing it for all your readers in Blogland!
ReplyDeleteIck! Somebody just posted about fried chicken ice cream, and my niece threatened me with the pickle ice cream at the upcoming St Joe Pickle Festival...
ReplyDeleteHey, but it's guaranteed to keep the vampires away while you eat ice cream.
ReplyDeleteThey can buy their own, mooching undead bastards.
Yes, I've been to the Gilroy Garlic Festival and had a good time. But I avoided eating garlic for months afterwards.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'll pass on garlic in any flavor of ice cream. But you were brave to bring it on. :)
ReplyDeleteEC, yes, carob bean gum sounds good, actually. It's fewer letters too. I wonder why they went with "locust".
ReplyDeleteJo, thanks so much for the information. You're a wise woman, and you saved me the "trouble" of researching locust bean gum.
BnB, LOL, Good Lord, yes. It must be more appealing than civet coffee.
GB, does that mean locusts with wild honey is a kosher dish? Who'd have thought?
CW, fried chicken ice cream? I wonder who thought of such a thing and what substances influenced this decision.
Al P, high-five. I couldn't agree more about those mooching undead bastards.
For you people? Anything (almost), anytime (almost).
You are ALL smart, perceptive folks. The two flavors should remain separate but (almost) equal.
Keep a smile.
xoRobyn
At our Farmer's Market, someone sells "spicy chocolate." I've been wondering about that. It doesn't sound good. Sounds like they've run out of new sweet flavors and are now going for yucky stuff!
ReplyDeleteNo no no. Garlic does not belong in ice cream. I have never had the pleasure of attending a garlic festival except one evening when I worked late and then joined my family at a concert. X had prepared dinner. He and the kids floated on a cloud of garlic that I could smell before I got anywhere near them.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I lived in the Bay Area for 10 years but had no interest in traveling to Gilroy. I wouldn't touch garlic in ice cream with a 10 foot pole though. Ew.
ReplyDeletecant says i been to gilroys; never tried garlic ice cream and cant says that i would - thanks for the heads up; now i can pronounce locust bean gum, but i try to stay clear from gum and beans in the same eating setting - LOL! if ice cream doesnt tout simple ingredients such as, cream, butter, egg yolks, sugar, milk? i try not to eat it. funny post. glad ya enjoyed your travels. cheers!!
ReplyDeleteI like garlic. I like chocolate. I also like ice cream. No way in hell would I ever combine the 3. It really sounds like a recipe for a disaster.
ReplyDeleteHi, Robyn,
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of garlic-flavoured ice cream before today. It sounds horrible and definitely something I'd avoid, although I do like garlic in my food.
I've been through Gilroy a number of times and the garlic fragrance was overwhelming. Garlic ice cream? No thanks. I'll stick to the more traditional flavors. Like here in Spain... "Old Cheese," which is surprisingly good.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't even sound good. Garlic and chocolate are two things that should never be used together. Kudos to you for even giving it a try.
ReplyDeleteNow that looks really unique. I am a fan of garlic but in my ice cream not so sure.
ReplyDeleteHey Robyn!
ReplyDeleteKnowing my luck, I'd have some locust bean gum and have a swarm of them in my mouth.
Garlic chocolate ice cream? Huh! Does it keep away really cool Vampires? Only on Sundae, um Sunday?
Hugs and happy daze,
Gary :)
x
Thanks for making this supreme sacrifice for your fans! Now we've gotten it out of our systems, and can move on to more delectable chocolate treats.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Garlic and ice cream are two things that don't belong in the same sentence if you ask me. *shudders* I'll take your word on that one and steer clear of the, um, interesting combination. =)
ReplyDeleteVampires suck.
ReplyDeleteBA DUM BUM
Thank you, thank you very much.
You are a brave soul, Robyn. I would not have tried that. Garlic in ice cream sounds awful to me. I appreciate you testing it for us, though. :-D
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm nomally adventurous when it comes to trying new food, I find garlic icecream rather peculiar. lol. Good on you for at least trying it.
ReplyDeleteI like garlic in a lot of foods...ice cream is definitely not one of them.
ReplyDeleteLocust bean gum is an ingredient in most of the ice cream that I've seen - at least around here.
ReplyDeleteGarlic ice cream? No. Just, no.
You're a brave soul, Robyn!
I like garlic...where it belongs. And that's not on ice cream. Chocolate and garlic- both good, but should never be paired- like 60 year olds and thongs on the beach. Not a good combo.
ReplyDeleteI like garlic, but this is on the do not try list! My daughter is allergic to Gum Guar and it is in most ice creams. I guess locust bean gum is similar.
ReplyDeleteThat is just too bad. I love both of them. If they did happen to go well together, that would be awesome. Oh well...
ReplyDeleteI love chocolate and garlic but never try together! But I think would be nice!
ReplyDeleteUmmm...yeah I don't know that I could have even tried a taste. Especially after reading locust. You are braver than me. Thanks for doing all of the experimenting. :)
ReplyDeleteYou may be interested...
ReplyDelete1. Inspired by you, I've entered the Midlife Collage writing contest. It's supposed to start today, but I'm not going to advertise it until I actually see it on their Facebook site.
2. Also...I've reentered "Shag Carpet Toilet" with Create Space so I can get an actual printed book of the thing. I've ordered it, but won't advertise that I've done so until I have it in my hot little hands.
Don't worry, I haven't changed any of the plot...Mickey's toilet still gets covered in shag.
You go, Al. Thanks for sharing the good news. I'll do whatever I can to point folks over to your fine work. And I'll be voting on your piece at Midlife Collage. So glad you entered. Congratulations on that. I can say that, because I know that not all entries are accepted to the next round. Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteThank you, my dear, awesome readers. I've been making rounds vs responding individually, as you likely noticed.
Enjoy garlic and chocolate - separately.
xoRobyn
Oh my God, I feel ill just at the thought lol
ReplyDeleteYou're a brave girl Robyn! A real chocolate pioneer!
Yeah, the locust one sounds intriguing, but dont think I could go there either!
xo