Frozen Treats from Around the World
Written on June 18, 2025
Summer is here! Is there anything better than eating frozen treats to cool off when the temperatures rise?
Here are a few popular chilled sweets from around the world:
India – kulfi
Kulfi, unlike ice cream, is not churned during the freezing process which creates a denser product that melts less quickly. Typical flavors include rose, mango, and cardamom. Before serving the kulfi is often topped with ground cardamom, saffron, or pistachios. Street vendors called kulfiwallahs sell the treat from their carts, but it is also available in many restaurants throughout India.
Italy – gelato
Italy’s richer, silkier, denser cousin to American ice cream, is now beloved (and available!) around the globe. While traditional flavors like custard, hazelnut, and pistachio are still popular, modern twists on gelato now include fruit flavors and other unique options like olive oil or basil.
Dominican Republic – helado de potecito
A refreshing fruit-filled treat to cool off in the Caribbean heat, Dominicans love digging a spoon into this strawberry and mango dessert that is prepared by layering purees into small glass jars and freezing them.
Mexico – paletas
Paletas are a creamy treat on a stick that are prepared with fresh, natural ingredients like fruit, chocolate, or pistachio that are blended with water, milk, or condensed milk to create creamy and luscious flavor combinations. Pineapple, coconut, lime, tamarind, and passionfruit are common varieties of paletas.
South Africa – peppermint crisp fridge tart
A popular no-bake dessert in South Africa, peppermint crisp fridge tart is simple to prepare thanks to its short ingredient list: Peppermint Crisp or Aero Mint bars, caramel, heavy or whipping cream, and Tennis Biscuits can be purchased from the local grocery stores in the country. The layers of creamy custard with crisp bars atop a biscuit (cookie) crust taste delicious straight from the chilly fridge.
Japan – kakigori
Some might want to compare an icy kakigori to a traditional snow cone of the United States, but that would be unfair to the smooth, fluffy, snow-like texture of Japan’s kakigori. The treat comes in traditional flavors like green tea, green melon, or mango and is readily available at most convenience stores in Japan. Kakigori is further enhanced with syrups and sometimes sweet and creamy condensed milk.
New Zealand – hokey pokey ice cream
Visitors to New Zealand should try the country’s most beloved ice cream flavor: hokey pokey. This vanilla-based ice cream is chock full of honeycomb toffee (called hokey pokey in New Zealand) and is available by the cone at ice cream shops and by the carton at local grocery stores.
Turkey – dondurma
Dondurma, Turkey’s ice cream treat, is notable for its unique texture. The silky-smooth frozen treat is stretchy and chewy thanks to two of the dessert’s ingredients, salep (from the tubers of wild orchids) and mastic (a tree resin.) Street vendors and store fronts that sell dondurma must constantly churn it to keep the product workable, and the vendors enjoy entertaining their customers with jokes and “magic tricks” when serving the treat.
Puerto Rico – limber
Limber is Puerto Rico’s own tropical twist on ice cream. It is similar to the texture of a popsicle but instead of serving it on a stick, the mixture is frozen into a plastic cup that people squeeze to eat. Tropical juices lend flavor to this frozen snack: guava, tamarind, coconut, and mango are popular.
Germany – spaghettieis
Spaghettieis is a delightful photo-worthy dessert popular throughout Germany. Created in the 1960s by a second-generation ice cream shop owner, gelato was pushed through a spätzle press, then topped with strawberry puree and white chocolate shavings to resemble sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Thailand – I-Tim-Pad (Stir-Fried Ice Cream)
Thailand’s rolled ice cream is a popular street food that also provides a fun viewing experience during its preparation. The creamy liquid is poured onto an icy pan to be chopped, stirred, and spread to freeze and scrape into its signature rolls. Since its debut in 2009, the rolled ice cream craze has spread to other countries.
Which ice-cold frozen treats tempts your taste buds?
To sample these frozen treats (or to plan another fabulous foodie vacation!), let’s talk about your next trip!
