Every week like clockwork, Isabella, one of our younger clients, marches through the entrance at Westland Mall in Hialeah, Florida, with her grandfather. Ignoring the buzz from the surrounding shops, she makes a beeline straight to our store, her eyes fixed with pure focus. She orders a vanilla Dippin’ Dots ice cream and plops down exact change on the counter with the confidence of a professional boxer before a bout. Grandfather’s pleas to try another flavor are always ignored, as are our efforts to entice her with one of our other twenty options. This story always ends happily, with a big smile on Isabella’s face after the first spoonful. She, like the rest of Americans, who list vanilla as their favorite flavor, always go gaga for this classic for this classic. With so many flavors out there these days, it begs the question – why vanilla?
Vanilla Is a Classic
Let’s clear the air straight away, vanilla, despite popular belief, is not the original ice cream flavor. Historians believe ice cream originated from China between 600 to 900 A.D. before making its way to Europe and the United States centuries later. Those original ice creams were believed to be flavored with fruits, nuts, and sweeteners like honey. Vanilla flavoring in China at that time would have been nearly impossible. The Vanilla orchid plant, whose pods are used to create vanilla extract, are originally from Mexico. Until the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 16th century, Europeans or Chinese would not have tasted vanilla.
The Jefferson Myth
So, if vanilla ice cream isn’t the original, why is it so popular? Well, the vanilla that the Spanish brought back with them would eventually spread across Europe. It wasn’t long before Europeans adapted vanilla as an ice cream flavor. Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers has been wrongly credited in popular culture for introducing ice cream to America. That legend says the recipe he brought back from France was for vanilla flavored ice cream. But there is a grain of truth to the Jefferson legend – he did much to popularize ice cream in early America. In fact, some of his records show his original recipes to indeed be vanilla. it’s not entirely implausible that America’s first flavor was vanilla.
Mass Appeal
Whether vanilla was the first American flavor or not, its hold as the country’s “defacto” ice cream is undeniable. Out of all the flavors out there, vanilla has become the benchmark for quality in the US and around the world. Much of the love affair with vanilla ice cream boils down to one key quality: its mild sweet flavor doesn’t overpower. Literally everyone can enjoy a scoop. But there are other reasons as well. For example, it pairs well with just about any other dessert and has even become a base for many other popular flavors. Plus, in today’s modern world, vanilla continues to grow in popularity because of how easily it works with non-dairy and vegan milk substitutes. Vanilla’s versatility, combined with its historic nostalgia, mean it will likely be America’s favorite flavor for years to come.
Get Your Cup
Let’s celebrate Isabella’s and America’s love for vanilla flavored ice cream together. Head down to our Westland Mall location and grab yourself a cup of Dippin’ Dots ice cream today. Our iconic flash frozen ice cream beads offer you a pure vanilla experience. Just ask Isabella! If you can’t make it down to our location then why not pick one of our many ways to order online here.
About Total Snacks
Total Snacks’ mission is to always provide the highest quality snack food for people to enjoy wherever and whenever. The business began in 2015 by entrepreneurs Eleazar López Contreras and Mabe León-Ponte, a husband and wife team, who immediately noticed a lack of high quality snacking options around their new home in Miami, Florida. From its humble beginnings as a single retail kiosk, the couple has worked tirelessly and creatively to bring the best in class snack foods to the region.
Today, Total Snacks stands out as the premier provider of snack foods and catering in Miami. Its products can be found in over 300 independent outlets, the company provides contract catering solutions to some of the largest sporting and entertainment venues in the area, while bringing smiles to thousands of people a year through its corporate and private catering activities. Despite its success, Total Snack has never wavered from its core mission to offer the highest quality snack foods and the best customer service.
