Outside of Italy, I’d never seen a group of camera-clad tourists so fascinated by a street side ice cream display. In a city known for its rice dishes, avant-garde architecture and brash fireworks display (oh, and being the region from which those crazies the Borgias came from), I never expected to see such fuss over an heladería.
As we got closer on a walk around Plaza de la Reina of Valencia, crowned by the cathedral, I realized why.
Behold:
Yes, those flavors are cream of shellfish, Asturian bean stew, anchovies in vinegar and gazpacho. The girl in line in front of us tried a bit of the fabada stew and spit it out immediately. I dared to try the anchovies (which I normally only eat with picadillo), and it tasted like just that: fishy vinegar.
The girl scooping ice cream behind a high counter turned up her nose at the girl, telling us that all of the flavors were artisan and made in the company’s obrador, just like Dispensa de Palacio in Estepa. Just for good measure, we tried gazpacho and tortilla. They tasted just like the flavors they claimed to be.
But don’t worry, if you’re not adventurous, Heladerías Llinares has all of the normal flavors and a few twists, too. I chose piña colada and mojito, preferring something fresh to something chocolatey. The company operates several ice cream shops, but the most central is located in Plaza de la Reina, 6, and open daily until midnight. A cup or cone with two flavors will cost you just 2,20€ – not much more than you’d pay for an ice cream bar on the beach.
What’s the strangest ice cream flavor you’ve ever eaten?
Tomato?!! Holy moly!! That just makes me want to bloody mary it up. We have the red bull one here in Germany too, and as much as I love red bull, I still haven’t brought myself to try it.
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Interesting! I like creative flavors, but I don’t think that anchovy ice cream can really work– unless served with a savory dish as a side… same goes for tortilla and fabada, so strange!
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It was savory, not good for a sweet treat! You know I’m not even an anchovy fan, but I couldn’t pass up a free sample.
That heladeria reminds me of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans (which I think they eventually got around to commercializing and selling?). Strangest ice cream flavor I ever tried was not that strange compared to anchovies or stew. It was lavender, which is pretty common in ice cream stores in the south of France. Provence is pretty much synonymous with lavender so I guess that’s why? Didn’t really enjoy it, it reminded me of soap (because I know for a fact we have bought lavender soap at my house).
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Ooh, I’ve had lavender before, too, and probably in the South of France. There’s a similar flavor in Spain called violet, though it’s a bit sweeter.
I can’t decide if I’m disappointed or relieved I missed this place when I was in Valencia. I can’t even imagine what gazpacho and tortilla ice cream would taste like, wow.
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…be disappointed. Ha.
All the ice creams looks so fabulous and mouth watering. I wish if I could get my hands on these creams.
I can’t say I’d ever order the weird flavors again, but they were fun to try!
Wow, fabada sounds like something out of my worst nightmares (as an ice cream, that is)!
I would have gone for something more traditional in this case, though I have seen some “crazier” flavors I might try.
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