Latest news with #HäagenDazs
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
I tasted 13 vanilla ice creams – this budget supermarket tub beats the posh offerings
I did a double take when I looked at my tasting notes for this article. In front of me were 13 bowls of vanilla ice cream – no labels or brands visible, just a lineup of anonymous products (marked A to M) for me to taste and judge. Now, it was time for me to wipe my sticky face and fingers, open my laptop and reveal the labels on the tubs. One ice cream had stood out as too sweet and too strongly flavoured with an oddly woody vanilla taste that reminded me of an over-oaked chardonnay. I gave it a middling star rating accordingly, but when I checked which brand it was, I was surprised to discover it was a Häagen-Dazs tub – the very ice cream which had come top in my last tasting of posh vanilla ice cream two years ago. How could this be? Was the sugar buzz from tasting 13 ice creams addling my brain, or had its recipe changed? Happily, I still have my spreadsheet of data from 2023 (in which I record the prices, volumes, sugar content and more for each product – just some of the number crunching I do for all of my taste tests). I checked this year's Häagen-Dazs label against my notes, and sure enough, the ingredients had changed. While the price of the 400g tub has risen less than five per cent (roughly in line with inflation, but below the higher rate of food inflation) savings have been made elsewhere, it seems. The sugar content has gone up from 18.8g to 19.9g per 100g – enough to tip it from 'on the sweet side' (as I judged it to be in 2023) to cloying. Perhaps it's there to make up for the new ingredient – water – now listed alongside cream and condensed skimmed milk, sugar and egg yolk. More significantly, the vanilla extract used in the 2023 ice cream has been replaced with 'natural vanilla flavouring'. By law this must be made from 95 per cent vanilla, with the additional 5 per cent coming from natural sources (although these may be so highly refined they are unrecognisable from the original). The purpose of these extras (according to Neroliane, a French company that creates flavourings for the food industry), is to 'convey fresher, spicy, biscuity, buttery or even milky notes to the original vanilla.' Or, in the case of my Häagen-Dazs spoonful, woody notes. It's not a successful addition, and it's hard not to conclude that it's been made to cover up a switch to a lower quality vanilla. Talking of money saving, a favourite method of some manufacturers is to whip as much air into their ice cream as possible, so they need less of the mixture to fill a tub. This is called 'overrun' in the trade, and in this area Häagen-Dazs (which was approached for a comment) actually comes out shining, with the lowest overrun I've come across. Those who add the most air usually have to add emulsifiers – generally mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids – to stop the mixture splitting. This puts the ice cream in the ultra-processed food (UPF) category, and also makes for an unpleasantly foamy consistency as it melts. In order to estimate how much of your tub is air, I've calculated the difference between the weight of the ice cream and the volume as a percentage (a high percentage signals more air in the mixture). This isn't a perfect equation but it's a decent approximation, and it allows you to understand where you're spending money on real ingredients – and where it's just all hot (or cold) air. Skip to: How we tasted All the ice cream was given time to soften slightly in the fridge. A scoop was taken from each tub and placed in a glass bowl identified with a letter A to M. I tasted all the ice creams 'blind'. In order to work out the weight of the product and its overrun (the amount of air added to the ice cream), I placed any that did not declare a weight on accurate professional digital scales, subtracting the weight of the tub (these products I have marked with an 'approx' figure). The taste test
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
People are only just realising where Häagen-Dazs' name came from, and it's NOT because of its ‘Danish heritage'
PEOPLE are being left shocked after discovering the meaning behind the ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs. If you have ever assumed that it was named after its founders or that it is a Swedish, German or Danish phrase you are mistaken. 3 Häagen-Dazs was launched in the US by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Reuben and Rose Mattus in the 1960s. And it turns out that the distinctive name was completely made up and doesn't have any true meaning at all. Reuben created the name himself and wanted it to sound European. He even invented a meaning behind the phrase, claiming it stands for 'the best'. However, the back story behind the invented phrase is poignant. Reuben and Rose are both Jewish-Polish immigrants and decided to come up with a Danish-inspired moniker in tribute to Denmark's protection of its Jewish population during the Second World War. According to Tablet Magazine, Reuben - who died in 1994 - shared: 'The only country which saved the Jews during World War II was Denmark, so I put together a totally fictitious Danish name and had it registered. 'Häagen-Dazs doesn't mean anything. [But] it would attract attention, especially with the umlaut.' He added that he also wanted a name that would stand out in the American market and that people would 'take a second look' at the label and wonder if it was imported. Reuben shared: 'If you're the same like everybody else, you're lost. You can now buy Biscoff inspired Haagen-Dazs ice creams 'The number one thing was to get a foreign-sounding name.' As well as choosing a Danish-sounding name, Reuben also included a map of Denmark on the early Häagen-Dazs labels. Reuben's daughter Doris Hurley recalled in a PBS documentary called An Ice Cream Show in 1996 how her dad sat round the kitchen table coming up with jibberish names for the brand. He eventually settled on Häagen-Dazs due to it sounding 'unique' and 'original.' 3 Many Häagen-Dazs fans have admitted they are surprised upon finding out the name had been completely made up. One said: 'I always assumed it was a combination of two German last names. Weird.' Another added: 'I always assumed it was German because of the umlaut.' However, one person pointed out: ''As a Swedish person the name has always bothered me because it doesn't make sense verbally (or grammatically) to put an A after an Ä like that.' Five secret branding messages you may have missed LOTS of brands have secret messages on their logos - so which ones have you spotted? Amazon Most people either have Amazon Prime and/or regularly order from the site, so are used to seeing the logo. But have you ever noticed the little arrow underneath the word Amazon? It starts at the 'A' and finishes at the 'Z' - showing that they sell everything from A to Z! Toblerone It caused a stir a few years ago when people realised the Toblerone logo - which they'd thought was a mountain - is actually the image of a bear. The reason for this is that a bear is the official symbol of the Swiss town of Bern, the original home of Toblerone. Ray-Ban The brand is arguably one of the most famous sunglasses companies in the world. But have you ever spotted the sunglasses image in the logo? If you look carefully at the letter 'B' in Ray-Ban and tilt your head to the side, you will see it looks like a pair of sunnies. Hyundai You'd be forgiven for thinking the 'H' logo for Hyundai is just meant to be a jazzy letter. In fact, if you look again, you might see that the vertical lines of the H are actually meant to show two people shaking hands - a salesperson and a satisfied customer. Apple Again, one of the most familiar logos in the world. But why does Apple's apple logo have a bite taken out of it? Apparently, it's down to the fact that when the logo is made smaller, they didn't want it to look like a cherry. So having the bite taken out of it means it is always identifiable as an apple.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Foodies shocked to discover real meaning behind Häagen-Dazs 'alien-looking' name
Foodies are reeling after discovering the true meaning behind the name of luxury ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs. Many assumed the treat was named after its founders, while others believed it was a Swedish, German or Danish phrase. However, it turns out the Scandinavian-inspired name was completely made up by its American founders. Häagen-Dazs was launched in the US by its founders, husband-and-wife duo Reuben and Rose Mattus in the 1960s. Reuben concocted the unusual-sounding brand name to sound European and fabricated a meaning for it. He claimed it stands for 'the best' - but there's a more sentimental meaning behind the invented phrase. Reuben and Rose are both Jewish-Polish immigrants and came up with the Danish-inspired name to honour Denmark's protection of its Jewish population during the Second World War. 'The only country which saved the Jews during World War II was Denmark, so I put together a totally fictitious Danish name and had it registered,' Reuben said, according to Tablet Magazine. 'Häagen-Dazs doesn't mean anything. [But] it would attract attention, especially with the umlaut.' The homage was further represented by the outline of a map on Denmark included on Häagen-Dazs's early labels. After he perfected the ice cream formula, the businessman - who died in 1994 - said he wanted a name to make it stand out to an American market. 'If you're the same like everybody else, you're lost. The number one thing was to get a foreign-sounding name,' he said. In an interview with People Magazine in 1981, Reuben further explained he wanted Americans to 'take a second look' at the label and wonder if it was imported. In 1996 on a PBS documentary An Ice Cream Show, Reuben's daughter Doris Hurley recalled her father sitting at the kitchen table coming up with a list of jibberish names for his brand until he settled on Häagen-Dazs because it sounded 'unique' and 'original'. Häagen-Dazs fans were shocked by the explanation, with many admitting they thought the name was German or the last name of its founders. 'I always assumed it was German because of the umlaut,' one person confessed on Reddit. 'So it's basically the Mötley Crüe of ice cream,' another joked. 'I always assumed it was a combination of two German last names. Weird,' a third said. However, the name has caused confusion among Swedish and Danish speakers who claim the phrase does not make grammatical sense. 'As a Swedish person the name has always bothered me because it doesn't make sense verbally (or grammatically) to put an A after an Ä like that,' one user pointed out. 'I'm Danish, and I can't think of any product in this country with a more alien-looking name than Häagen-Dazs,' a second agreed. 'I speak Danish and Häagen-Dazs makes no sense at all. They didn't even try,' a third agreed.
National Post
22-05-2025
- National Post
Flying 12 hours in business class — an honest review of the $6000 experience
Article content Cathay Pacific dining Article content Article content The Duddell's abalone certainly lived up to the hype, and is arguably one of the best items I've enjoyed in the sky on any flight. Louise's sea bass was decent, however, a tad bland, and not quite to par with what I've come to know and love from the restaurant itself (which I highly recommend on a visit to Hong Kong). Regardless, it was still an elevated choice considering – and I would get it again, but maybe add a little salt. Cheese, Häagen-Dazs ice cream or fresh fruit followed, for some simple but solid dessert options (although the ice cream was very frozen – beware!). Article content Article content Article content Where the menu truly stood out was on the all-day options, which could be requested at any time during the flight. Noodles (a popular choice) and a burger with fries are on the docket, both of which were excellent. Key detail: the fries were delicious and not soggy. Article content For those looking to indulge in a drink, the cocktail and wine lists were extensive, edging out Canadian competitors. The Chateau Lynch-Bages from Pauillac is a tried and true choice, but for those feeling experimental, Chinese wine – not readily available in North America – is available. On the non-alcoholic front, the Hong Kong-style milk tea appeared to be a popular choice with those on my flight. Article content Article content Cathay Pacific sleep Article content Following dinner and some work, it was time to get some shut-eye. Cathay provides a hotel-style pillow, 400-thread count cotton duvet and perhaps the most important details for a high-quality snooze — a mattress pad and eye mask. Combined with the Bamford pillow spray, I got in a full eight hours with zero interruption. The sleep was so solid, in fact, I nearly dozed through breakfast. Article content I'm glad I didn't, though, as the pre-landing meal was also impressive. In-flight breakfasts are usually nothing to write home about, however, there were a few nice touches here, like warmed cherry tomatoes, a shockingly decent croissant with butter and jam and – small detail – a tea bag dish (oversteeped tea is a no-no). Congee, a traditional rice porridge found in South and East Asia, was also available and looked delicious. Guests were invited to make a chocolate selection from a box, a nice touch before landing.
