![\"\"](\"http:\/\/images.mentalfloss.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/article_640x430\/public\/ice_cream_science.jpg\")
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I’m not\u00a0too upset about them never making Kale flavored ice cream, but you KNOW that Bacon would have been a huge seller. \u00a0 \u00a0But they stuck to their kosher guns.<\/p>\n
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\n1. THERE\u2019S A REASON BEN & JERRY\u2019S FLAVORS ARE SO RICH<\/span><\/h4>\n
It\u2019s partly because co-founder Ben Cohen has anosmia, or almost no sense of smell. If he couldn\u2019t taste a recipe, he just added more flavoring!<\/span><\/p>\n
2. THE R&D DEPARTMENT IS ULTRA ELITE<\/span><\/h4>\n
Schimoler is one of just three food scientists on staff. The remaining four members of the team come from culinary backgrounds. (One of them has the title \u201cprimal ice cream therapist.\u201d) Together they launch about five flavors each year.<\/span><\/p>\n
3. A FLAVOR CAN TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR TO DEVELOP<\/span><\/h4>\n
The average development cycle of a basic pint is about 12 to 14 months, but there have been occasions where Schimoler nailed a flavor on the first try. \u201cOther times,\u201d she says, \u201cyou\u2019re on iteration 10 and still wondering if it\u2019s going to work.\u201d Which is exactly what happened with Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt, one of the few products where the name came before the flavor. \u201cThey knew they wanted to do a Liz Lemon flavor but didn\u2019t know what they wanted it to be. We looked at so many different lemon flavors.\u201d At the other end of the spectrum, Schweddy Balls, inspired by Alec Baldwin\u2019s SNL<\/em> skit, got to market in a record four months.<\/span><\/p>\n
4. MOST FLAVORS START WITH THE SAME BASE<\/span><\/h4>\n
A mix of milk, cream, liquid sugar, egg yolks, and water. But there are a couple of variations that have different fat and sugar levels. Choosing which to start with depends on what\u2019s going to be added in. If a recipe calls for something high fat, like peanut butter, it starts with a lower fat base. \u201cIf you\u2019re at too high a fat level, once you freeze it, you\u2019re going to end up with concrete; it\u2019s not going to come out of the machine,\u201d Schimoler says. If they\u2019re adding something sweet, like caramel, they use one with lower sugar.<\/span><\/p>\n
5. EACH YEAR, THE TEAM MAKES A PILGRIMAGE TO A FORWARD-THINKING FOOD CITY<\/span><\/h4>\n
In order to stay ahead of the flavor curve, they\u2019ll spend 12 hours a day tasting offerings from food venues of all types, hitting as many as 10 spots a day. The inspiration for Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt? A blueberry-lavender cocktail in San Francisco. This year, the team visited Portland, and Schimoler is forecasting a future full of caramel and burnt sugar. \u201cWe\u2019re also seeing a lot of sour stuff,\u201d she says. \u201cYou see that a lot in the cocktail world. Sour beers are coming back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
6. BEN & JERRY\u2019S RECEIVES ABOUT 13,000 FLAVOR SUGGESTIONS A YEAR FROM CUSTOMERS<\/span><\/h4>\n
Each R&D team member is given a month\u2019s worth of feedback to review for new ideas or recurring themes. Some of the company\u2019s most iconic flavors were born from these, including Cherry Garcia, which was suggested by two Deadheads from Portland, Maine. (In December 2013, after spending more than a decade at the top of the customer favorite list, the 27-year-old flavor was dethroned by Half Baked, which, surprisingly, was not suggested by Deadheads.)<\/span><\/p>\n
7. NOT EVERY FLAVOR CAN BE FOUND IN YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE<\/span><\/h4>\n
Some are created exclusively for a single retailer. One of Schimoler\u2019s favorites, Nutty Caramel Swirl, which she developed to taste like a Snickers bar, is only available at 7-Eleven. The very first flavor she worked on, Berry Voluntary, was made for Target. Walgreens sells a Truffle Trifecta, and Walmart hawks Cotton Candy.<\/span><\/p>\n
8. THERE\u2019S A FLAVOR GRAVEYARD<\/span><\/h4>\n
At the company\u2019s factory in Waterbury, Vermont, discontinued flavors are laid to rest with a headstone. Among the rows of dearly departed flavors are many of Cohen\u2019s creations, including Miz Jelena\u2019s Sweet Potato Pie (Epitaph: \u201cOne potato, two potato, Sweet Potato Pie. No one would could appreciate it. So we had to let it die.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n
9. BEING A FLAVOR DEVELOPER HAS CERTAIN PERKS<\/span><\/h4>\n
Ben & Jerry\u2019s has a take-home allowance of three pints\u2014a day! Fortunately, the company\u2019s corporate headquarters, in South Burlington, is equipped with a full gym. They also have a yoga instructor and an occasional massage therapist. (No wonder they also need a nap room.)<\/span><\/p>\n
10. BACON WON\u2019T HAPPEN<\/span><\/h4>\n
It\u2019s among one of the most requested items, but we won\u2019t see it because Ben & Jerry\u2019s plants are kosher.<\/span><\/p>\n
11. DON\u2019T WORRY, NEITHER WILL KALE<\/span><\/h4>\n
The company has a long list of regular vendors for things like chocolates and caramel, but there\u2019s an even longer list of snack peddlers hoping to sell their ingredients in a pint of ice cream, including one very persistent proponent of kale chips. Though a co-worker did a test batch, Schimoler says that, ultimately, \u201cNo one wants to sit down with a pint of Kale Ben & Jerry\u2019s. So, Kale Guy, if you\u2019re reading this, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
12. BUFFALO WINGS, ON THE OTHER HAND? WELL, THEY JUST MIGHT<\/span><\/h4>\n
\u201cEveryone is so tuned to think that ice cream is sweet, creamy, and cold. But it doesn\u2019t have to be,\u201d Schimoler says. \u201cCreamy and cold can be savory too.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
From Mental Floss<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I’m not\u00a0too upset about them never making Kale flavored ice cream, but you KNOW that Bacon would have been a huge seller. \u00a0 \u00a0But they stuck to their kosher guns. 1. THERE\u2019S A REASON BEN & JERRY\u2019S FLAVORS ARE SO RICH It\u2019s partly because co-founder Ben Cohen has anosmia, or almost no sense of Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-retail-companies"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1142"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1151,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142\/revisions\/1151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-tales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}