Too Many Cooks: What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor?

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

It's a question that's as personal as it is difficult: What's your favorite ice cream flavor? But we knew that in honor of Ice Cream Week, we had to tackle the issue. Read on to hear our existential waffling about our true favorite flavors -- which for the record, we define as "the flavor you could eat every day, any time, for the rest of your life" -- and comment with yours, too.

And a quick programming note: we'll be slowing down a bit here at Feed52 over the next week, and then back in full force in the first week of September. Enjoy three back-to-back installments of Down & Dirty while we're away, and we'll see you back here soon!

Amanda
I can never say no to lemon ice cream. Or olive oil gelato. Or not-too-sweet coffee ice cream. I'd also happily eat them all together.

Merrill
I'm going to go with black raspberry. As Kenzi pointed out, the color can sometimes be alarming, and some versions are a bit too perfume-y, but I almost always enjoy it. Second vote: cookies and cream. Third vote: dark, dark chocolate.

Kristen
Cinnamon! But also cookies & cream, still.

Kristy
I really love coconut sorbet. But if we're talking ice cream, I'll take a very minty and not dyed-green mint and chip, please.

James
Butter Almond ice cream from Breyers!

Kenzi
Moose Tracks. These were ice cream blinders that were set in place very early on. Maine Black Bear would do, in a pinch, but the main requirement is that it be sufficiently swirled and studded with lots of chocolatey things.

Nozlee
Strawberry. I can never resist ordering it at any diner/burger place/ice cream shop -- even when it's bad, it's still good, and when it's good, it's really good.

Brette
I'm going to go all Italian and say Fior di Latte and Straciatella -- mixed -- are my go-tos. I also love a good Cookies n Cream, preferably Haagen Dasz (the best vanilla base) or Baskin Robbins (chock filled with cookies).

Jennifer
Coffee and Banana -- and together, please!

Stephanie
My absolute favorite is plain chocolate with a scoop of peanut butter from the jar.

Karl
Not sure if this counts, but I usually go for a chocolate milk shake made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup - so good! If it's just ice cream, Stroh's moose tracks. Honorable mention: B&J's Cherry Garcia and Haagen Daz chocolate.

Michael
Coffee Oreo. (If we're talking gelato, I can never resist pistachio.)

Ryan
Mint Chip, but only if it isn't dyed green (haven't had better than Van Leeuwen's). Otherwise, I've never said no to cookies 'n cream.

Amanda Li
Mint Chocolate Chip. Close second: Cherry Vanilla by Haagen Daaz.

Maddy
Mint chocolate chip. A close second is Haagen Dazs' caramel cone -- it has so many chocolate-covered, slightly salty bits of caramel cone, it requires your full attention. Both flavors give you something to chew on, which I like.

Christina
Age 8: Neapolitan at Grandma's. Age 13: Bike trips to Baskin Robbins for Mint Chocolate Chip. Today: Pistachio and Nocciola gelato from Grom.

Peter
I'm taking Christina's approach: Age 9: Baskin-Robbin's Gold Medal Ribbon (there's a story behind that). Age 19: Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia or Phish Food (please don't make me choose!) Now: Blue Marble's Strawberry -- from the scoop shop, not the pre-packaged pints. In my semi-expert, very thoroughly researched opinion this is the best ice cream in the world.

Rachel
After much deliberation I've narrowed it down, but no strict favorite. Gelato: cremino (nocciola swirled with something like nutella), salted caramel, and pistachio. Ice cream: Half Baked and New York Super Fudge Chunk by Ben and Jerry's, and Peppermint from Braum's in Oklahoma. Oh, and coffee-flavored everything!