At a recent dinner I mentioned to a friend that I had found half-pints of a delicious, locally made ice cream at my local Union Market. When I mentioned it was Alchemy, she informed me that they made vegan ice cream. “I don’t think so,” I said. “It was rich and creamy.” She told me she was pretty sure it was vegan; was I talking about the same Alchemy that sold ice cream at Smorgasburg? “That’s them,” I said. “But the ice cream I ate wasn’t vegan. It was way too creamy.” Well I was wrong. Alchemy makes incredible vegan ice cream. According to research my dad did (more on that in a minute) they use “a blend of coconut & hazelnut milks” for their base. Hazelnut milk? Who ever heard of such a thing? But it works. A 12oz container will set you back $5.99 at Union market, which is the exclusive purveyor of Alchemy in the off-season. Alchemy also gives poetic names to their flavors, or potions as their website refers to them. I had Crunching Leaves, a name and flavor evocative of Autumn. It’s a pumpkin ice cream, but one that’s heavy on the pumpkin flavor and light with the sigar and spices that make up most other pumpkin ice creams. So now, on to my dad’s research…

My parents have become very involved with nutrition recently, so when my dad saw me posting about so much ice cream he went to work. In some cases he found the information on the company’s website, in some cases he had to contact them directly. I appreciate the work, but my one question is: who eats only a half cup of ice cream?