One Of The Most Unusual Ice Cream Flavors Hails From Pennsylvania

Ever wanted to try medicine-flavored ice cream? Then it's time to make a trip to Pennsylvania for the state's unique teaberry ice cream. Now don't be fooled by its bright pink color; this ice cream has been known to taste like everything from spearmint on steroids to pain medication. At this point, you're either willing to try it, or you are actively running in the opposite direction. But Pennsylvanians know that, when done right, teaberry ice cream is a perfectly unique and delicious treat.

While it's easy to imagine something like the history of Moose Tracks ice cream, where on earth did teaberry ice cream come from? Well, we will tell you. The teaberry is actually a real berry that grows in the Northeastern United States, often referred to under the name "wintergreen." This name was also used to describe the teaberry gum of Pittsburgh's D. L. Clark Company. The Pennsylvania company's iconic chewing gum was sold during the first half of the 20th century, and had a bright pink color and a minty flavor. Although the gum isn't around today, teaberry ice cream can still be found in Pennsylvania.

Both teaberry-flavored chewing gum and teaberry-flavored ice cream harken back to the teaberry itself (in both flavor and color). Teaberries have a bright pinkish-red color that gives off that minty, wintergreen smell, and they are used in the making of the ice cream. 

Additionally, teaberries have also been used medicinally, hence why some might think it tastes more like a cough syrup than a tasty treat. Teaberries are only in season during mid-autumn, which is when most Pennsylvania artisanal ice cream shops will carry the flavor.

Teaberry ice cream has now become a bit of a unicorn flavor — with a few staunch supporters and many non-believers — but something about that pink look keeps customers coming back. Only a handful of shops have had the flavor available since Clark's shut down in the 1960s and teaberry gum disappeared. 

But the businesses that continue to offer it see it as a tradition, so don't add teaberry to your list of discontinued ice creams just yet. Now, most locations that sell teaberry ice cream appear to be located in Eastern Pennsylvania, near the Allentown area. Should you decide to give the flavor a try, get a plain scoop of teaberry ice cream first. Then, try getting a scoop of black cherry ice cream to go with the teaberry one. The black cherry flavor is said to help break up the minty notes of the teaberry, and make a tasty, sweet, and tart combination.