The Definitive Global Ice Cream Guide

Ice cream is the quintessential American treat. Few things better define an American upbringing than a parent or grandparent taking the kids out for an ice cream cone. Americans should be proud of this contribution to society—the smiles that it brings to faces transcend age and culture. Now there are many creative, successful people selling ice cream concoctions, such as the lovely ladies behind Sweet Bite Creamery in DC.

Who can forget ice cream's role in the movies: Bette Davis's character, Jane Hudson in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, who gleefully bought two strawberry cones at the Santa Monica beach, and basked in the attention of sunbathers for one final dance—as her sister (played by Joan Crawford) was dying on the beach. Of course for my generation, there was also this scene in 1979's The Muppet Movie:

Fozzie Bear: Hello, I'd like an ice cream.

Ice Cream Vendor: What do you want? Chocolate, vanilla, coffee, peach, fudge, rum, banana?

Fozzie: Honey.

Ice Cream Vendor: Honey? I beg your pardon, I hardly know you.

Fozzie Bear: Ah! But seriously, I'd like a honey ice cream cone for me, and a dragonfly ripple for my friend the frog.

Like other American innovations (automobiles, television sets, and drag queens), other countries have hijacked this delicious treat and made it their own. Why do these countries offer such supurb frozen concoctions? First, fresh ingredients like fruit and cream help. Second, flavors are simple—none of the revolting Baskin Robbins flavors that have tons of ingredients that fell from a back of the truck (and yet, like the TGIF menu, everything tastes the same!). Finally, small portions, and not made fussy by syrups or an avalanche of toppings. So the next time you consider a trip abroad, you should consider the ice cream scene—and you'll have a fabulous trip. Here are my nominees for the best ice cream noshings around:

• Argentina: There's something about a country where I spent a month, ate little else besides beef and ice cream, and yet lost weight. True, walking had a role. But the country offers more than beef on the menu. Thanks to a plurality of people who have Italian descent, pasta is incredible here—as is the ice cream. Cattle are not injected with hormones or anything else that is nasty, and the abundant grass on which they can feed must have something to do with that refreshing milk that is available. Now on to ice cream—dulce de leche rules, but the basic flavors like chocolate and peach are winners. Marscapone is not to be missed, either.
• Brazil: The biggest rival between Brazil and Argentina is soccer/football. After that, the competition is between which nation has better ice cream. Argentinians may have a better technique, but Brazil has exotic ingredients: fruto do conde, caja (cashew fruit), pitanga (similar to a sour cherry), and tamarind are only the beginning. Every city and town has good local place where you can try these unique flavors, which pair well with that good strong coffee and filling sandwiches. The best ice cream store in the world, however, is in Mangue Seco. Recanto de Dona Sula is brimming with love, and its owner and family make you feel as if you are part of a novel—perhaps because their cousin, Jorge Amado, wrote several of his works here.
• Hungary: Hungarian cuisine is the Korean food of Europe—very underappreciated. Some of the best ice cream shops are sprinkled around this dynamic country of 10 million. While Budapest is a grand city, the country's smaller cities and towns beg for exploring. Its cafes, a holdover from the Austro-Hungarian Empire days, are worth visiting. Of course many sell ice cream; try the ones made with liqueurs and summer fruit—perhaps one of the best places we visited was Virág in Szeged, near the Serbian border. I remember that Mozart liqueur ice cream—and the fact that we broke the rules of small portions and had dessert there three times one day!
• Korea: Speaking of Korea, this may seem odd, but I found their ice cream, especially the fruit flavors, to be light. Kiwi, which the Koreans seem to love, stands out, but their berry flavors are not to be missed. Grabbing a cone at one of the department store's basement ice cream shops made dealing with those crowds more bearable.
• Bulgaria: The best presentation goes to the Bulgarians. We have all seen the gellato stores at the mall pretty up their ice cream bins with slices of fruit and nuts to match the flavors. Bulgarians take this to a much more artful level—my memory of visiting Sofia and the smaller towns were the appearance of frozen Carmen Miranda hats greeing the visitor. The flavors, from basic creams to berries to summer fruit offerings, were popping with flavor, and were often fragrant. Scoops of ice cream there go best with a slice of baklava from the bakery across the street.

All of these countries stand out because they let the flavors stand by themselves and are not overly sweet. One scoop is often enough to satisfy those cravings, though of course a frozen nightcap is never a bad thing.

Share your ice cream stories from your global travels with us!