By Sarah N. Balzac
As in most big cities, there is a lot to do in New York City, but you can’t always rely on the Times or even the Village Voice to tell you about everything. Sometimes you have to find things by walking on your own two feet and keeping your eyes wide open. And that’s how we came upon Vosages’ ice cream social.
Vosges Haut-Chocolat is truly the haute couture of chocolate. The Chicago-based company caters to those looking to try something exciting, exotic, and different. Made famous by their crazy flavored chocolate truffles and their chocolate bars, such as Mo’s Bacon Chocolate Candy Bar, the company also sells ice cream, incorporating some of the same flavor components featured in their sweet treats. The “haute glace” flavors are Naga, a custard base spiced with sweet Indian curry tamed with young coconut, Pandan, a dark chocolate base infused with the flavors of the pandan leaf, the Aboriginal inspired Wattleseed, which is complemented with roasted macadamia nuts, and, finally, Red Fire, an Aztec rooted dark chocolate ice cream, punctuated with a blend of ancho and chipotle chilies and the sweet heat of Ceylon cinnamon.
Inside the shop on Spring Street in New York City
We tried the Naga and the Wattleseed, both topped with matcha green tea chocolate syrup. It didn’t take long for either of us to lick our bowls clean. The ice cream base itself is silky smooth and is flavored perfectly—not too much spice to render it inedible, but not so little that you don’t taste anything. In reality, wattleseeds are not that exotic in flavor; their taste is very familiar even though it is a native Australian spice rarely seen stateside. Curry however, isn’t something common in ice cream, sweet or not, the flavor combination of cumin, turmeric, ginger, clove, and chiles isn’t often thought of in conjunction with dessert, but add young coconut and you’ve got yourself a spectacular flavor hit!
Don’t be afraid to stop by the shop nearest you, to see what’s going on, or check out the events page on the company’s website. And if you don’t happen to have a location in your state or surrounding city, then go to their site and load your virtual cart with some sweet loot as their chocolates and ice creams are not to be missed. Ciao and Bon Appetito!
Wattleseed ice cream to the left and the Naga to the right. Both drizzled with a matcha green tea chocolate syrup.
oH, my they both look so delicious and what a great article. My eyes will be open when or if I can get my little feet to New York. Ill treat!!