Today's Review: Häagen-Dazs Strawberry Cheesecake

It's Valentine's Day this Sunday, but I've noticed a distinct lack of Valentine's flavoured food lining the shelves. There are the regular boxes of chocolate, sure, but all the interesting new products have focused on the Easter theme. Perhaps there's just not quite the market for novelty Valentine foods, but Häagen-Dazs have decided to fill that gap by promoting one of their classic flavours. I was sent some vouchers to pick up a tub of their strawberry cheesecake ice cream, and while I can't inherently see the connection with Valentine's Day, I figured it was a good opportunity to review a flavour that I first tried out long before I started this blog.

Thinking about it, I guess we can connect it to the occasion. Strawberries are red, and I guess kind of look like hearts, depending on whether it's a misshapen strawberry or an abnormal organ. Also, I love cheesecake, and Valentine's Day is all about love. But does this accurately represent a strawberry cheesecake? I'm inclined to say yes. The ice cream itself is cheesecake flavoured, a mascarpone flavoured delight that is certainly reminiscent of the bulk of a cheesecake. There are strawberry swirls throughout that, while seemingly quite sparse, provide a great hit of strawberry. A cheesecake wouldn't be a cheesecake without that biscuit base, and thankfully that's covered as well, in the form of some pretty big biscuit chunks throughout the tub. They pack a great buttery flavour, and still pack a satisfying crunch despite being surrounded by ice cream. All in all this is quite simply a great ice cream. Every element is well represented and balanced, evidenced by the natural ingredients put into the tub. It may have been a while since I picked up a tub due to my obsession with finding new flavours, but this is as good as I remember, and has earned its place as a classic ice cream flavour. I would say it's perfect for sharing with the one you love this Valentine's Day, but you don't have to share it...

My rating: 5/5