Exotic Ice Cream: Kulfi
Alright, this one is pretty obscure for you. A few of the items we’ll be reviewing before the holiday seasons are pretty mainstream- video and board games, some more computer equipment- but not today’s delicious frozen treat.
You could call them ice cream bars and you wouldn’t be far off. But unlike normal ice creams, Kulfi contains no air, and thus is creamier and has a richer taste. KoolFreeze has brought them stateside from their native South Asia/India, but kept many of the original flavors. They shipped them in dry ice to us since they don’t have a distributor here in Hawaii, but you can look for them in specialty stores (and even some restaurants) now.
There are 8 flavors in all, and most all of them surprise. Nothing boring like a chocolate or vanilla in sight, though there is a merely decent strawberry bar, and the “plain” cream flavor called Malai. The most interesting would be a tie between the saffron flavor, which is nutty, mild, and wonderfully different, and the Faluda, a rose-infused bar that is, well, perfect for the more intimate occasions. There is also one of the best coconut ice cream concoctions we have tried, a fairly-real tasting mango, a pistachio which is also surprisingly authentic while remaining an ice cream, and finally the chikoo (also called sapote), an odd fruit that is kind of like a burnt apple-pear… or something.
Anytime is a great time for ice creams in Hawaii. And Koolfreeze Kulfi serves as an excellent replacement. Not all of the flavors will work for everyone, and certainly we still crave our coffee and fudge flavors, but these are some of the most tasty alternatives we have seen. Organic, not too sweet, and reasonably priced- the only downside is finding them since, for the moment, they have limited availability and no easy way to find a shop.
