Popular Ice Creams Ranked Bests
- Zohreh Khosravi
- 20 hours ago
On a hot summer day, few things are as refreshing as ice cream. This sweet and cooling delight has traveled through centuries and across continents, taking on new shapes, flavors, and fans along the way. From the courts of ancient kings to the vibrant streets of these day’s cities, ice cream has become one of the most beloved and delicious cultural connections around the world.
Over two thousand years ago in ancient Persia, people enjoyed a chilled dessert known as Faloodeh—a mix of snow or ice, syrup, and starch noodles, popular with both commoners and courtiers. Similar creations appeared in other early civilizations: Alexander the Great was said to enjoy honey-sweetened ice drinks; Chinese emperors during the Tang dynasty indulged in frozen goat and buffalo milk with rice; and Romans chilled mountain ice with fruit. During the Islamic Golden Age, Arabs refined and spread the idea of flavored ice syrups. Some believe that Marco Polo introduced these dessert-making methods to Italy after his travels to China. Later, Italian noblewoman Catherine de’ Medici brought them to France upon her marriage into French royalty, helping spread ice cream throughout Europe.
Tastes of history aren’t limited to books and museums—they live on in the desserts we discover while traveling. Local sweets offer a delicious way to connect with a place and its people. So on your next journey with flysepehran, skip the usual flavors and treat yourself to the local ice cream or dessert. With each bite, you’re tasting a little piece of the culture.
Clotted cream ice cream is a traditional frozen treat from Cornwall in southwestern England. Made with rich milk, eggs, and clotted cream, it boasts a distinctive flavor and a velvety, indulgent texture. This luxurious ice cream is often paired with classic flavorings like vanilla, and sometimes finished with an extra dollop of clotted cream on top of the scoop for added decadence.
Origin: Cornwall, southwestern England
Traditional Iranian ice cream, invented in the early 20th century by Akbar Mashti in Tehran. This fragrant dessert is made with milk, cream, egg yolks, pistachios, rose water, saffron, and salep—a starchy flour derived from wild orchid roots that makes a stretchy texture. Its bright yellow hue and rich, aromatic flavor make it one of the world’s most unique frozen desserts. Iranians enjoy it topped with chopped pistachios or sandwiched between two thin wafers.
Origin: Iran
La Dame Blanche is a beloved Belgian dessert made with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and warm chocolate sauce. The sauce is poured over the ice cream, creating a luxurious contrast of temperatures and textures. Named after the French opera La Dame Blanche (The White Lady), this dessert remains a timeless favorite for those seeking something both elegant and indulgent.
Origin: Belgium
A beloved Filipino ice cream, Sorbetes, is made from buffalo milk and flavored with mango, chocolate, cheese, coconut, and purple yam or ube (a native, nutrient- and fiber-rich tuber). Sorbetes is served in small scoops on thin, sweet cones. Humorously nicknamed “dirty ice cream” by locals, it’s a cherished street-side treat sold on wooden carts.
Origin: The Philippines
Queso Helado is a traditional Peruvian ice cream. It is made by gently heating milk, coconut, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar, then enriching the mixture with egg yolks. Once strained and cooled, it is frozen and served in bowls with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon. This cherished dessert was first made by the nuns of Santa Catalina Monastery in Arequipa.
Origin: Arequipa, Peru
Booza is a traditional ice cream from the Middle East, known for its stretchy, chewy texture. Instead of eggs and air, it’s made with salep (orchid root powder) and mastic resin, then pounded with a wooden mallet to create its dense consistency. Traditionally flavored with rose water or orange blossom, booza is now available in a variety of flavors, including fruit, chocolate, and nuts.
Origin: Syria, Middle East
Pistachio is one of the most beloved flavors of Italian gelato—a creamy frozen dessert found in nearly every gelateria across Italy. The authentic version is crafted with milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, enriched with roasted and chopped pistachios. This gelato is always dense and silky in texture. The finest pistachios used in this delicacy come from Bronte, a small town in the island of Sicily.
Origin: Sicily, Italy
Kulfi is a traditional Indian ice cream made from thickened milk. The milk is slowly boiled to reduce its volume and develop a nutty, caramelized flavor. Kulfi is recognized for its unique conical shape, created using traditional molds with tight lids, and is often flavored with pistachio, saffron, rose water, and berries. It is believed to have originated during the Mughal Empire, in Himalayan region.
Origin: Himalayas, India
