By Lourdes Lopez

Detox, vegans ... and now seawater ice cream. Tradition and innovation go hand in hand in ice cream as in any other sector. In Spain we love ice cream all year long. In fact, ours is one of the countries where more ice cream is consumed. This is detailed by the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (MAPA), placing per capita consumption of ice cream at 2.92 kilo-liters per person per year. And in the Catalan capital we are lucky to enjoy some of the best ice cream shops in the country. 

From Pablo Galiana, master expert in handmade ice cream and owner of an ice cream shop in Port de la Selva (Girona), to the worldwide known work of Jordi Roca, El Celler de Can Roca in his Rocambolesc ice cream parlors (Girona, Alicante, Barcelona and Madrid), or Mario Masiá, from the historic ice cream shop Masiá Heladeros Artesanos, from Sant Vicent del Raspeig (Alicante).

Ice cream with sea water
Antonio Sirvent, of the homonym emblematic ice cream and nougat store of Cambrils, points to one of the trends in the sector. Boosted by the Green trend, this season they have also incorporated a ‘detox’ ice cream based on green apple, celery and seawater. "It's another clear trend." Marc Piqué points out that in his restaurant in Roda de Berà (Tarragona) he offers a varied menu of Mediterranean cuisine and, of course, of course! Amazing creations in which he uses only purified seawater as a base. It was one of the first to use it and now there are many you want to have incorporated this technique that “allows sublimate the flavours through that extra contribution of seasoning to the whole”. Pique is also known for creating an ice cream sushi that is also on the menu in his restaurant and is a trend itself. Among the creations that the teacher serves at his Cal Sisquet Ice Cream Shop are the Catalan cream ice cream and the meringue milk ice cream. Sirvent and Piqué were second in the ice cream world cup 2016. “Quality, above all. We seek excellence and differentiation in the product, so that people begin to acquire a new palate in terms of ice cream and this is the most important trend.” states Piqué.

Sorbets are also booming. And ice cream with flavors like tea-see and spices. Gabri Olivier, from the Italian ice cream shop Olivier (Tarragona), highlights that this season, "fruit ice creams, along with slushies such as watermelon", triumph. The establishment has also surrendered to the frozen ice cream, a fashion that has come to stay.

In addition to this innovation in the creation of ice cream, there are other ice cream shops in the country that experiment with atypical flavours. Fernando Sáenz is an institution. It looks at savours that have to do with our memory and taste memory. In in Obrador Grate, his artisan workshop in La Rioja, he has a collection of ice cream with surprising and peculiar flavours: fig tree shadow, marzipan riojanito, lemongrass with grapefruit, green lemon and yogurt o white wine fermented in wine barrels.
Continuing with alcoholic drinks, the Moriz Barcelona brewery has just released a beer ice cream as appetizing as it is prohibitive (if you are under 18).
They have follow the path of ice cream maker Ramón Breda who launches a first ice cream whose main ingredient is this beer.

Black is the new black

And what about activated charcoal powder ice cream? This trend has flooded our lives in recent years and food could not stay at sea. Thai rolled ice creams or Itim Pad are still a trend this year. Rolls & Co and Ice Wave are two of the companies that have successfully exploited these types of preparations that are served on an iron plate at -30 degrees. The second brand also prepares an ice cream cone in hot crep with a multitude of toppings, another of the trends that we do not miss. In the ice cream industry, the idea is to be prepared to be surprised by any idea that can be frozen.