What Does The Häagen-Dazs Name Actually Mean?

Häagen-Dazs is one of the most recognized ice cream brands around. It's sold in shops all over the globe, and its iconic name evokes the promise of a premium, luxurious treat. However, its vaguely Scandinavian-sounding name does leave many wondering what the heck it means. Some people think it sounds Swedish while others believe it's German due to the umlaut in its spelling. Those assumptions, however, are both wrong.

As for the real meaning of the words Häagen-Dazs — they don't actually mean anything. It turns out that the founder of the company, Reuben Mattus, made them up. The intention was for the name to seem foreign and to lend the product an air of upscale European elegance. Mattus came up with a name that he felt sounded Danish, stuck an umlaut in it to grab attention, and even included a map of Scandinavia printed on the product's packaging. The truth of the matter is that the company was founded by Polish-Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn, New York, and the Danish language doesn't even use the Germanic umlaut. 

Later assigning more context to the fictional brand name, Mattus told People Magazine in a 1981 interview that it made the ice cream appear like it was imported while admitting that he "made a name and created a meaning for it." The fabricated meaning was that it stood for "the best," or as the Häagen-Dazs website puts it, "The finest ice cream that money can buy."

Reuben Mattus started selling Italian ice with his uncle as a child in the 1920s. He learned about the manufacturing process and aimed to create a delicacy that would beat the competition. The key turned out to be an overlooked ingredient that matters when buying quality ice cream — butterfat. Adding more butterfat created a creamier product ... so much so that it broke the machine it was made on. This happy accident injected less air, resulting in a thicker ice cream that captured the high-class, indulgent quality Mattus was after.  

This, combined with using only natural ingredients in the original flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and coffee), gave Häagen-Dazs an edge. The brand still uses the highest quality ingredients in its vanilla ice cream, which continues to be a top seller. Crafting a unique and delectable dessert along with brilliant marketing campaigns spearheaded by Reuben's wife, Rose Mattus, allowed the ice cream to be priced higher than others ... and its fancy name helped justify its price.

As for the fake Danish name, Mattus turned to his Jewish heritage. As he explained his inspiration to Tablet Magazine, "The only country which saved the Jews during World War II was Denmark." He also told the magazine, "If I made good ice cream, I wanted my people to get it, so I made it kosher." Häagen-Dazs was eventually sold to Pillsbury and today is owned by General Mills, but it's still kosher certified.