Have you ever had licorice ice cream? It’s my favourite flavour but it’s so darn hard to find so I was absolutely thrilled to learn that my neighbourhood ice cream place, Gleburn Soda Fountain and Confectionary, had just added Licorice Marble ice cream to their menu. I’ve gone there twice this week for a scoop… or two.

Glenburn uses Birchwood Dairy ice cream which has a 16 per cent butterfat content. This means it tastes really good.

Birchwood describes their licorice marble flavour as “a black licorice flavour based marbled with a dark black licorice.” I thought it was very good. The licorice flavour is on the light side – it’s not overpowering. That being said, it carries a nice blend of flavours that meld well with the cream. The colour is very light and it has a pleasant aftertaste. It’s a definite must for any licorice lover.

My all-time favourite licorice ice cream was produced by Island Farms but they have discontinued it in recent years. They used to sell it in those big 11.4 litre bulk tubs. Back when I was growing up and until about 2010 it was not terribly uncommon to find a gas station or corner store on Vancouver Island that sold it.

It was as black as a slab of cold coal and packed a very potent dose of licorice flavour that just grabbed your taste buds. You had to be careful eating this ice cream if you wearing a white shirt. I hope they bring this flavour back.