Dippin' Dots: Still Whimsical, Still Delicious
At the Museum of Science Boston last weekend, I tried Dippin' Dots for the first time in years. I used to eat them as a kid at sidewalk fairs and beach town boardwalks, usually paired with a towering cone of cotton candy and paper cup filled with fruit punch.
As far as I remembered, Dippin' Dots were only available in such "flavors" as rainbow and bubble gum. But evidently, times have changed. The museum cafeteria was serving tiny beads of chocolate chip cookie dough, Oreo, and Moose Tracks. According to the official Dippin' Dots website, that's just the beginning: there's also Tropical Tie Dye, raspberry sherbet, and no sugar-added fat free fudge.
Curt Jones, who studied microbiology at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, founded and invented Dippin' Dots in 1987. The pebbly treat is made by flash freezing ice cream in liquid nitrogen and then storing the dots at extremely low temperatures (-20 to -70°F).
Eager to relive my childhood—and always eager for ice cream—I decided to give Oreo a try. The cafeteria lady served me a plastic cup brimming with tiny, cool gray beads and chunks of chocolate cookies. The Dippin' Dots tasted deliciously eerie, just as I remembered. At first it felt like chewing pebbles, but the dots melt into cream once they hit your tongue. I was impressed by the pronounced Oreo taste, almost more so than in many cookies 'n cream ice creams.
The only problem with Dippin' Dots—they're very difficult to eat. Spooning up the little orbs is like trying to balance pearls in a ladle. They started spilling out and bouncing all over my lap. Ten minutes after eating them, my tongue was overcome by a strange, leathery, numb feeling.
Regardless, everyone should take a walk (or bite?) down memory lane with the Dots. They remain one of the most whimsical desserts out there.
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6 Comments:
It has always struck me that Dippin Dots are more about whimsy than delicious. Maybe I have to try the Oreo.
Ed Levine at 6:39PM on 07/31/08
Dippin Dots are made in Paducah, KY (where I live). The plant is fun to visit. At the end of the tour, guests are invited to taste test. Some of the best treats we get at church functions are from an employee that brings the samples to our potlucks. Candy Bar Crunch is yummy. Mint Chocolate is my favorite.
As for eating, the easiest way is to lick them and let them stick to the tongue. While probably not proper, it is the delivery method that looses the least "orbs."
supersu75 at 9:39PM on 07/31/08
I *love* Dippin Dots. I actually like how they taste, and really enjoy the process of eating them, the cold crunch at the beginning, the way they melt in the corners of the bowl by the end. They're practically my favorite part of going to baseball games. The ice cream of the future! And the future is now.
surplusj at 11:12AM on 08/01/08
i've never had dippin' dots but have always wanted too. it's just that the dippin' dots place is next to the auntie anne's pretzels... and if i'm going to indulge in either the buttery smell draws me to auntie anne's.
lexophile at 11:25AM on 08/01/08
Guppy. Nothing like hearing that you enjoyed them as a child, but they weren't invented until 1987. Eh. Thanks for making me feel old today.
sarahbeam at 12:20PM on 08/01/08
I had these for the first time at a kiosk in the Mall of America. Dippin' Dots, Ice Cream of the Future. Ah, memories!
This actually reminds me of one of my favorite headlines from The Onion: Time Traveler: Everyone In The Future Eats Dippin' Dots
missginsu at 12:35PM on 08/01/08