The mystery is over about the flavor of a new jet-black ice cream that will be introduced by Columbus-based Jeni’s on Aug. 14.
The conceptual new release from Jeni Britton and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is called Opaque, and it’s designed to reduce the colorful, nostalgic experience of ice cream to flavor alone. It’s a collaboration with Australian artist Cj Hendry, who is exploring the same territory with a three-day pop-up ice cream shop in New York.
The monochromatic shop, according to an announcement from Britton and Hendry, “is made to subvert the endless appeal of ice cream. As with the flavor itself, the pop-up shop is devoid of color, but as it unfolds, so too do the nuances of the space and the artwork.”
So what flavor lies hidden in Opaque, which also will be served at Jeni’s scoop shops and sold by the pint in Columbus and around the country?
Online speculation recently ran from black licorice — consensus: please, no — to something citrusy that would throw people for a loop.
Jeni’s, however, said it’s a black cocoa ice cream with ribbons of espresso fudge and cherry-balsamic jam. They’re all dyed black with natural ingredients, so the ice cream appears monolithic in color and offers no visual clues to its flavor.
“This wasn’t just about creating a ‘black’ flavor,” said Beth Stallings, director of Innovation at Jeni’s. “It was about creating something that is layers deep, that feels like an excavation of flavor. With Opaque, guests will have to rely on their senses, allowing the flavor to unfold with each bite.”
It will be available in black waffle cones, too, Stallings said.
Dining reporter Bob Vitale can be reached at rvitale@dispatch.com or at @dispatchdining on the Instagram social platform.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jeni’s latest is a conceptual experiment in color and flavor. But what does it taste like?
Reporting by Bob Vitale, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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