The Vermont Staple All Soft-Serve Lovers Should Know About

If the success of Ben & Jerry's is anything to go by, it would seem that the people of Vermont know what they're doing when it comes to ice cream. And although Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chunky Monkey might be the first things that come to mind when you think of the state's cone culture, it's actually known for another delicious frozen treat: The creemee.

For those who have not yet had the pleasure of enjoying one, a creemee is a style of ice cream in Vermont that's very similar to soft serve. Like soft serve, it's pumped through a machine to incorporate more air into it and typically served in a cone. It's also stored at a warmer temperature than scoopable ice cream and has less milk fat – though some creemee makers use a higher fat content in their recipes.

Both creemees and soft serve also have stabilizing agents to help them keep their shape. The big difference with a creemee is that it's usually made with maple syrup, and seeing as Vermont is the U.S. state that produces the most maple syrup, you can bet that it's probably pretty good quality. 

While even some of the best spots for soft serve in the U.S. can have flavors that taste artificial, creemee makers pride themselves on using fresh ingredients. A typical creemee is made with high quality cream, local maple syrup, and sugar, and the proportion of syrup to base is heavily monitored to ensure the right level of sweetness. Some stands use a base from Hood, which is headquartered in nearby Massachusetts, but Vermont maple syrup is always at the core of a good creemee.

There are other flavors available and you can add toppings, but a creemee shouldn't be messed with too much. It's a time-honored tradition that's been around since at least the 1950s, with some tracing it even further back.

As for the name, no one's quite sure exactly where it came from. Some people think it's because Vermont used to make its ice cream with a higher butterfat content, which produced a creamier result. Others suggest it's to do with the close proximity between Vermont and Québec, where ice cream is called crême glacée. Either way, the name stuck around, and you can find creemees all over Vermont in the summertime. The debate over the best one rages on, but a good one is sure to put every Ben & Jerry's flavor to shame.