13 of the Most Unique Ice Cream Flavors in San Francisco

Perhaps the most important day of the year, National Ice Cream Day is this Sunday, July 19th.

On July 9th, 1984, President Ronald Reagan deemed July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday (at that time it was July 15th) as National Ice Cream Day; in his proclamation, he stated ice cream was “a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over ninety percent of people in the United States.”

While being nutritious and wholesome is up for debate, ice cream had other perks — he remarked that “the ice cream industry generates approximately $3.5 billion in annual sales and provides jobs for thousands of citizens. . .contributing substantially to the economic well-being of the Nation’s dairy industry.”

Hey Reagan, you don’t have to convince us.

In honor of this year’s National Ice Cream Day and in no particular order, we decided to look into the unique and oddball flavors at some of the popular San Francisco shops. Which flavors would you try? Which ones would you not touch with a 10 foot pole?

At Humphry Slocombe, you know things are innovative when some of the more normal flavors are Bacon, Ancho Chile, Mushrooms, and Cheese. Here are some of the even weirder ones:

1. Foie Gras

Where: Humphry Slocombe

Typically served up in ice cream sandwich form, the luxury fattened duck liver — often under much scrutiny for being unethical — is a popular flavor regardless.

2. Hibiscus Beet Sorbet

Where: Humphry Slocombe

Flowers meet the root vegetable in a surprisingly great marriage.

3. Peanut Butter Curry

Where: Humphry Slocombe

Are you ordering thai food or ice cream? The world may never know.

4. Prosciutto

Where: Humphry Slocombe

The delicious dry-cured ham with ribbons of fat proves it truly can taste good with anything.

5. Jesus Juice Sorbet

Where: Humphry Slocombe

Yes it’s sorbet, but we couldn’t resist including this. For those that don’t know, ‘Jesus Juice’ is the odd combination of red wine and cola, also called kalimotxo.

6. Honey Lavender with Sonoma Honey

Where: Bi-Rite Creamery

Not completely radical, but there is just something magical about eating lavender ice cream, earning it a spot on the list.

7. Crème fraîche

Where: Bi-Rite Creamery

A temporary flavor on the menu, crème fraîche is a slightly less sour cream (as compared to American-style sour cream) that is popular in French cuisine — it’s used in both savory and sweet foods alike.

8. Langka

Where: Mitchell’s Ice Cream

You might know langka by its more familiar name jackfruit — the tropical fruit tastes like a mix of apple, pineapple, mango and banana, and they import it from the Philippines.

9. Ube

Where: Mitchell’s Ice Cream

Another odd but popular flavor is ube, also known as purple yam, and it is also imported from the Philippines.

10. Maple Brown Sugar Squash

Where: Smitten Ice Cream

A seasonal flavor only served up in the fall in October, this ice cream is a blend of pumpkin, butternut squash, and maple syrup, making even the coldest treat seem warm and cozy.

11. Sweet Corn with Berries

Where: Smitten Ice Cream

Corn isn’t just for barbecues — this summer seasonal flavor of August taps into the flavors of sweet corn from California’s Central Valley and pairs it with summer berries.

12. Ghost Chili and Shōchū

Where: Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous

While not on the menu currently, this place has served up an ice cream flavored with one of the spiciest peppers in the world blended with shōchū, a Japanese distilled beverage.

13. Dad’s Cardamom

Where: Three Twins Ice Cream

While cardamom (the world’s third-most expensive spice) is typically used in Indian cooking, Three Twins has successfully merged it with the world of ice cream.

What is the weirdest flavor you’ve seen in San Francisco? Also, be sure to stay tuned for more spots and specials for National Ice Cream day in our guide rolling out later this week.

[Featured Image: Frankeny Images for Humphry Slocombe]