I am a serious ice cream snob, jaded from years of seeking out the best ice cream parlors on both coasts and wherever abroad I may have been travelling. Hawaii has great ice cream, with a half-dozen really high-end premium local brands. I had not tried Roselani ice cream before. It's made on Maui and is a family business with a long local history. Roselani Tropics (the official name) came from the Maui Soda & Ice Works plant in Wailuku, Maui, which was founded in 1932. The plant started making ice cream for local parlors and it became a Maui hit. In the past decade, Roselani has spread its wings and become a statewide-staple. I had resisted trying Roselani because, simply, their fat content was too low. I figured if their fat content was lower than Breyer's, what's the point? It wouldn't taste like a super-premium. Well, I stand corrected.

I've been digging (rapidly) through a half-gallon of Roselani's vaunted haupia ice cream. Haupia is a Hawaiian coconut pudding made by boiling coconut milk and sugar. It's quite rich. Roselani's haupia ice cream manages to hit a fine balance. It's not cloyingly sweet. And although its not as dense as fat-bomb super premiums, Roselani haupia's mouth-feel is exquisite. I highly reccomend picking up a container (you can find it at many local supermarket chains). The half-gallon tub, however, is too big for a one-sitting binge so please, pace yourselves.

Roselani Tropics

Related Posts: Bubbie's Mochi Ice Cream, Eat at Dave's

—Alex, 12/21/06