Ice Cream

Now some of those pesky Unis or Cybunnies may sneer at ice cream, saying it's too "fattening" or "has too many calories". So to please even them, I will take you and your Neopets on a journey to relive some of the most joyous ice cream experiences you've ever had without having to take in the sugar or the calories. Just clear your mind and we'll begin.

The first part of the ice cream cone I want to touch on is the cherry. So bright and red and wondrous; the color and shape alone fascinated us when we were small children. What is this strange fruit, round and red like an apple yet so small with such a long stem? The cherry is often the first thing once notices when he or she looks at an ice cream cone or sundae because, naturally, it is customary to start with the cherry. And what a cherry it is; the round shape rolls around delicately at first in your mouth while you first grasp the first taste of its sweetness. And when you bite down, the sweetness is accompanied with a slightly sour flavoring that is unique to cherries. The texture is also unlike any other fruit one has ever tasted, so delicately smooth yet crunchy with a bit of a bite; it makes a great contrast to the smooth texture of the ice cream.

Now that we're done with the cherry, it's time to move on with the other various toppings. There are many options for ice cream cones, but the most popular topping is sprinkles. Sprinkles are an ice cream favorite for a number of reasons besides the color. Like the cherry, the sprinkles provide a change in texture and a slight change in taste that stimulates the taste buds with their intense sweetness. As they enter your mouth, your tongue feels them in their original form, in this case cylinder shaped. When you chew on them, however, the sugars coat your taste buds and offer the feeling of euphoria as the particles become finer, almost like sand, and the taste becomes more intense for a mere moment then fades away.

Most people have their own preferred flavors of ice cream and shun just as many others, but in my case I favor Cookies 'n Cream over most others. My Electric Eyrie, i_Darius_i, loves chocolate and my Starry Lupe, i_Shora_i, often craves strawberry in the heat of the day while running our shop in Mystery Island. But no matter who you are and what flavor you prefer, ice cream in itself is a sensory overload of the taste buds, a sweet euphoria mixed with a chill one has to be careful not to overdo lest they get brain freeze. From the first lick of the cone, your tongue is instantly met with a welcoming party of sugary deliciousness that immediately gets to work coating your mouth evenly, including your teeth. The chill slowly fades but never goes away completely as the cream travels to the back of your tongue and slowly slides down your throat as if it was never there, leaving you craving more. Whatever pieces or chunks of candy or baked goods you find hidden in the cream with your tongue are an exclusive bonus and it all depend on the flavor you chose.

Lastly, as you travel down the cone your tongue scrapes something hard: something new. Whatever type of cone you chose is a delicacy that accompanies ice cream only and provides a unique change in texture. The waffle cone is the most common type of ice cream cone that I know of and for good reason; it tastes great! The top part that scrapes your tongue has already absorbed a decent amount of cream from the ice cream sitting in it by now and is perhaps softer than the lower sections. Perhaps you sampled it when a piece broke off when you licked a bit too roughly or you just ran out of ice cream and needed to get at the last of it without going at it from straight up. Either way, you now have in your possession something new. It tastes of sugar with an even sharper taste than the sprinkles. It slowly turns to mush in your mouth as you chew, many pieces stubbornly trying to hold onto their form until the very end. As you near the bottom, the moisture of the ice cream is beginning run out and the cone starts to take on the consistency and texture of a thick potato chip. Only much sweeter. As you take the last bite, you are tempted to run your tongue along each contour of the bottom of the cone before chewing and as soon as you are finished, you lick your fingers and either mourn the loss of your sweet or feel completely satisfied.

Now that we've been talking about ice cream it makes you want to get some, doesn't it? Well you're in luck! With just a hop skip and a jump over to Happy Valley, you can visit Mr. Chipper's Ice Cream Stall! If you have a coupon, that is. But you could always head over to the Ice Cream Machine next door and get all the ice cream you could ever want and maybe win some Neopoints too!

If you're having too much trouble deciding, here are some of ii_Carry_ii's, my Cloud Acara, most recommended ice cream treats, and trust me she would know!

Krawk Ice Cream Sandwich: This treat, created especially for Krawk day, makes a nice snack while walking! Little chocolate bits in the ice cream give the sandwich a nice crunchy texture and the Krawk shape of the treat makes it surprisingly easy to handle! This is, all around, a good treat for your average day in the Gallery.

Creamy Cloud Ice Cream: This ice cream makes you feel like you're floating on air! No, really, your pet will float a few inches off while eating this treat. Usually coming in an elegant air faerie cup, this treat is usually found in fancy restaurants. The best part is, you don't need to save room for this treat because it takes up none!

Chickentastic Ice Lolly: If your pet isn't one for sweets, never fear! There's an ice cream out there for everyone! This ice lolly actually tastes like chicken! Unfortunately, this lolly is rarely found in stores and usually requires a trip to the Shop Wizard to find.

Zafara Banana Split: A favorite when going to this ice cream parlour, one can never go wrong when ordering a Zafara Banana Split! The added banana makes this treat healthier and the assortment of colors is especially appealing to young Neopets.

Brilliant Bubble Cream: Usually craved by Cybunnies and Unis, this beautiful treat has real candy faerie wings with real bubble gum drops inside! When your pet is seen with this delicacy, I promise you all of his or her friends will be jealous! Unfortunately, this treat is somewhat hard to find and might require the help of the Shop Wizard.

Seaspray_Wonder, my adopted blue Poogle, also would like to point out that one can never go wrong with a Brucicle or a Fish Pop (ew).

Why in the world are you still reading this when there are ice creams waiting to be tasted in this hot summer heat? Go! Go now!