Use This Condiment For Fiery Ice Cream

Everyone's familiar with the classic ice cream toppings like rainbow sprinkles, gooey caramel, hot fudge, and the iconic maraschino cherry. But there's a different topping in town and surprisingly not of the sweet variety. Sweet and spicy have been a beloved contradiction for ages, from Mexican hot chocolate to hot pepper jelly, so maybe it shouldn't be a surprise when ice cream is combined with chili crisp sauce.  

Ice cream's velvety consistency and cooling effect plus the spicy crunch of chili crisp sauce creates a unique flavor experience and sensation. As McCormick points out, sweetness is a surefire way to balance the spice of hot peppers and develop complex flavors. This combination has had experimental foodies clamoring ever since it was discovered. The spicy treat went viral not long after Chengdu locals caught wind of the chili-oil-topped soft-serve back in 2018, says China Daily. Not long after China-based McDonald's released their take on the dessert called Youpo Lazi Sundae.

While it may be new to some people's pantries, chili crisp has been a table-side condiment in China for centuries according to Today. The most popular label, Lao Gan Ma, began selling its chili crisp in 1997. Between the bold flavors of fermented soybean, crunchy garlic, and the lip-pursing tangy spice, the delicious accompaniment never disappoints. Apparently not even on ice cream.

Thanks to the internet, everyone can keep up with the latest kitchen experiments. Curiosity usually prevails and everyone gives it a try. In this case, spicy ice cream seems to have excited more palates than it has disgusted. Food scientists are happily exploring new flavor profiles. Hot Scream attracts adventurous foodies with their Chocolate Swirl Spicy ice cream and Marco explores spicy, sweet, and nutty with their Spicy Peanut Butter Caramel flavored ice cream. For those that live for the pain, Glasgow's Aldwych Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor concocted an ice cream so intensely spicy it requires a waiver just to taste (via Atlas Obscura). Yikes! We think we'll stick to a little Lao Gan Ma on a scoop of vanilla.