Is mint chip ice cream really mint chip if it isn't green?

I’m pretty sure that mint is a flavor, not a color. ~

But yes, the difference is a lack of green coloring. Crème de menthe is typically colorless, but can be made green either by mixing it with green mint leaves or by adding green dye.

Well, they say that the je ne sais stuff is nasty anyway.

I agree, @janbb! It’s my favorite, and the look of some things really enhances the taste for me, including the green in my mint chocolate chip ice cream.

My mind associates the green with mint. It’s just wrong. Pistachio has to be green too.

My mom gets very upset when ice cream shades don’t match her association with the color (i.e. mint has to be green, strawberry has to be pink.) And the color needs to be punchy not a wimpy pale green or pink. Even though the colors don’t add flavor, per se, they’ve become psychologically part of her experience.

My partner, however, doesn’t like color additives. Again, the color doesn’t necessarily change much in the way of flavor, but he associates it with artificiality. He thinks the ice cream is somehow “healthier” without the unnecessary additive. Even when I remind him that ice cream is fat and sugar, not to mention he’s lactose intolerant…

I will indiscriminately eat all your ice cream.

A similar question would be, “if cheddar cheese didn’t have annatto (natural coloring) in it, would it still be cheese?

Annatto- “The small hard achiote seed, which is also called the annatto seed, is prized in Indian and Hispanic cuisine. It is native to Central America. Annatto or achiote seed is brick-red with a slightly bitter, earthy flavor and imparts a rich yellowish-orange color in Caribbean, Latin American and Filipino cuisines. Available whole or ground, the small triangular shaped seeds are used as both a spice and as a natural coloring in butter, rice, smoked fish and cheeses.” http://wholespice.com/annatto-seeds.html

It’s possible to buy cheddar with and without the orange food coloring called annatto. I prefer mine without, but it really doesn’t change the flavor one way or the other.

I feel like wise about other foods including ice cream.

Please, eat all the mint chip ice cream you want. Leave the pistachio for me.

Appearance is part of the equation. Would a French chef serve Coquilles St-Jacques:https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Classic-Gratineed-Scallops on paper plates? I think not. And why is that? Because presentation is the fourth most important part of the meal.
First is the company; 2nd is the preparation, 3rd is ingredients, and 4th is presentation.

Mint is supposed to be green. Any other color is an abomination.
Unless it is flavored toothpaste. That may be white.

I don’t need it to be green. In fact, my favorite flavor is candy cane (peppermint) and I find it a little disconcerting when it is green, which it sometimes has been.

⌘ + F—> Waffle ==> Set Empty

It doesn’t matter unless it is in a waffle cone.

And Mint Choc Chip is my favorite ice cream by a mile.

I prefer the regular chocolate chip myself, don’t care if Jenney says it’s got quoi missing. Don’t speak Italian no how.

I don’t care if it’s green, I just like the chocolate pieces to be a decent size.

Peppermint is usually blue in many products, and spearmint is green. An exception is mentioned about that candy canes are typically red and white. I’m pretty sure mint chip
ice cream usually uses peppermint oil or flavoring, so maybe it should be blue?

I looked up the ingredients on a few mint chocolate chip ice cream products. All are colored green and have peppermint oil as one of the flavorings. https://www.instacart.com/safeway/products/8791-lucerne-mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream-1-5-qt

@snowberry As I said in my details, Haagen Dazs is white.

I always prefer wintergreen over peppermint. And I would prefer the colorless version. Just sayin. But unless I make it myself I’m not going to find anything like that.

@snowberry I can understand that. I’m sure the green food dye does not really add anything to the ice cream. It was meant as a lighthearted question in any case.

Ah, but my friend, mint chocolate chip ice cream is serious business! You know it and so do I!

@snowberry No truer words were ever spoken!

My preference is for white coloured mint chocolate chip ice cream. The green colouring sort of grosses me out. Our family is partial to the Breyer’s brand.

@Pied_Pfeffer Can understand that. I’m just used to the green from childhood.

I can remember Vanilla ice cream with green Creme de Menthe and gooey Chocolate syrup (not Hersey’s) poured on the ice cream. That would have been when I was 10 or 11.