By Tessa van Hoorn
Staff Writer
Can you still imagine those hot summer days when life was good? Walking around on the beach with your toes in the sand, or picnicking in the park? I can, and I do not want to say goodbye to the summer just yet. Unfortunately, I cannot clear away the clouds, so I will have to hold on to summer in another way.
After going through a list of possibilities – going to school in shorts and a tank top, wearing sunglasses at all times (both of which seemed a tad inconvenient in this weather) – I decided that there was only one solution, which came in the form of ICE CREAM. Yes, ice cream, the perfect little gift, which, when eaten, comes to an absolute climax of sweet scrumptiousness. But wait…Where should one go to get this delicious treat in Middelburg?
At that moment, the mission started; all of a sudden I found myself in a frantic search for the best of the best. Of course, because we are all worth it, I will give you an overview of my findings.
There are four major ice-cream shops in Middelburg, all located near each other, and, more importantly, close to UCR. Probably the most well known is A Domani. It’s not only known for its delicious ice cream, but also for the coffee that gets us through our classes, and more. The flavor choices seem unlimited. Their assortment has something for everyone, and includes most of the flavors you would expect. However, they also added some less common flavors to the list, my personal favorite being Ferrero Rocher ice cream, which, sadly enough is not always on sale.
Not to forget, when you do not feel like getting Italian ice cream you can always go for their FroYo’s (frozen yogurt)! When you have allergies, or maybe feel like all this ice cream is making you fat, A Domani offers milk-, gluten-, and sugar-free deliciousness. On top of that, their ice cream is homemade! They don’t make it completely from scratch, but it does allow them to create new flavors. The setting is convenient but not very cozy, and when it’s cold, sitting down is less inviting. One scoop is €1,35.
When you walk down that street, you will find Ijsco Fresco, the one with the ice-cream chairs outside. It is less well known, but definitely worth a try. They do not have as many flavors as A Domani, but they make up for it with some exotic flavors which are very good.
One of their specialties is Pandan ice cream. Yes, the same Pandan they use for rice. Might sound weird, but you can only judge this one if you try it! One flavor will change every week, so I would advise you to just go there and see for yourself. Their ice cream is made from scratch, with as many organic and local products as possible. Therefore, they can guarantee that their ice cream is relatively low in fat. You can also get lactose- or gluten-free ice cream.
In the winter and during the rainy season you will have to find another place to eat it though; the shop is very tiny so there is nowhere to sit. One scoop is €1,10. When you want to get ice cream here, don’t forget to bring some cash, since there is no possibility to pay by card!
Quite recently a new ice-cream salon opened at the Korte delft, called Ciao. Their ice cream is made according to traditional methods with milk straight from the farm, and you can taste that for sure! They have a very large assortment, which ranges from more standard but delicious fruit, and chocolaty flavors to more special flavors, like ‘Red-Bull’.
Another nice feature of this shop is the possibility to sit inside; even when snow is falling from the sky can you still enjoy the loveliness of ice cream in a cozy and warm place. They also offer gluten- or lactose-free ice cream; so there is literally ice cream for everyone! If you do not feel like ice cream, you can always sit down for a broad range of other things, for example coffee. One scoop costs €1,25.
The last ice cream shop is a little stand on the market square, next to the flower shop. They too have the most common fruity and creamy flavors. Personally, I liked their creamy flavors much better than their fruity ones, but both were definitely nice, so why not try it out?
There is a possibility to get allergy-free ice cream, just make sure to ask/explain. They too sell a variety of other products, like iced-coffees, slush puppies and milkshakes. There also is quite a big area to sit, unfortunately it is outside, so when it’s raining you might need to find a nice roof to hide under. One scoop costs €1,30, and their scoops are massive!
I think it is safe to say that Middelburg has many great ice cream shops, so that summer feeling that ice cream creates will be making my winter more bearable!
Tessa van Hoorn, class of 2015, is a Social Science major from Haaften, The Netherlands.
