Taste Testing Sat & Straw's Thanksgiving Flavors
From the sublime to the turkey stuffing -- here's what I thought...and why you shound buy them
First, let me start by saying I am not a “for the ‘Gram or TikTok” eater. I do not enjoy eating challenges — the biggest burger, chicken wings dipped in gold leaf, a monstrous milkshake topped with a slice of cheesecake (although I did, for the record, enter a bao-eating contest and a hot sauce competition). I’m also not into the trend of “interesting” ice cream flavors — give me vanilla any day. Call me basic, but I love the classics.
That doesn’t mean I’m not open to trying new things. After all, the palate is there for exploration.
So, I was intrigued when I found out about Salt & Straw’s Thanksgiving-themed series. Crafted by head ice cream maker and co-founder Tyler Malek, The Thanksgiving Series (in theory) takes your mouth on a five-course Thanksgiving journey through ice cream. Some of the flavors are no-brainers in the delicious department: what’s not to love about pumpkin pie tiramisu, for example. But there were also a few…interesting….flavors.
I decided to try them, with a bit of skeptism. After all, what could go wrong from an ice cream company that creates holiday-themed flavors like Creepy Crawly Critters, an ice cream filled with chocolate-covered crickets and toffee-coated mealworms?
Thankful for once that Halloween is over, when the ice creams arrived, I enlisted my bestie and neighbor, Sophia, for a culinary exploration. This woman is always game to test the newest cookie or cocktail, but when she saw the pints, she hesitated for a second. “Is there really turkey in that one?,” she asked. “That’s what it says,” I replied.
She presented two spoons and we went for it. Here’s what we discovered:
The Cranberry Orange Sorbet, is descibed as,” a juicy sorbet ‘sauce’ made with orange zest and fresh Pacific Northwest cranberries from Oregon’s Stahlbush Farms”. The sorbet (and the only vegan option in the collection) was refreshing and tangy — possibly a little too tangy for Sophia, who wished it could have been a little sweeter. For me, it was perfection — after all, I eat raw cranberries like they were grapes this time of year.
Ranking: 6/10. Suggested use: Place a scoop in a stemless glass and top with prosecco. Garnish with a fresh or frozen cranberry and a sprig of rosemary for a festive welcome cocktail or between-course palate cleanser.
Pumpkin Pie Tiramisu consists of, “pumpkin pie coffee ice cream, ribboned with tiramisu cake swirl and finished with chocolate stracciatella”. This was a traditional, creamy, sweet ice cream that hit all the notes: the baking spices of the pumpkin pie, the rich aroma of coffee, and some lovely bits of stracciatella.
Ranking: 8/10. Suggested use: Would make a great affogato for an easy no-fuss dessert. Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans for added flair.
Maple Koginut Squash with Pomegranate is, “maple sage ice cream infused with roasted Koginut squash from acclaimed chef Dan Barber’s seed-to-table company Row 7, rippled with pomegranate jelly and finished with a buttery cracker-hazelnut crumble,” according to package. We had to look up Koginut squash, which is a, “hybrid squash that was founded by chef Barber, plant breeder Michael Mazourek, and seedsman Matthew Goldfarb. Koginut is bred for concentrated sweetness and a creamy texture, often described as a cross between a kabocha squash and a butternut squash" (Thanks, AI, for the description). The result is similar to those sweet porato cassaroles that are topped with maply syrup and marshmallows. There’s sweet, a hint of savory, and texture from the hazelnut. We were somewhat divided: I liked it well enough, but Sophia thought it needed something — perhaps more pomegranate?
Ranking: 6/10. Suggested use: I’d top a warm apple pie or stone fruit cobbler with this flavor. Garnish with a hit of whipped cream and a few pomegranate seeds.
Parker House Rolls w/ Salted Buttercream was described as, “flaky, buttered rolls are finished with a sprinkle of sea salt, then folded into a sweet-and-salty butter ice cream. I predicted I would either love or hate this one. I was right - I LOVED it! This ice cream reminded me of that sweet and salty kettle corn you get at fairs. It’s balanced, it’s delicious, and it’s subtle - there’s just that pinch of sea salt, the mouthfeel of butter, and the parker house roll bits just work. I was enthralled, Sophia just liked it. Once again, I get it: this is the sleeper and I would wager not too many people would guess what this one was.
Ranking: 9/10 for me, 7/10 for Sophia. Suggested use: Crumble some cornbread, top with a scoop of ice cream, garnish with a dollop of fresh cranberry sauce or fruit compote.
Turkey Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce. This is the one we’ve been waiting for. The reason why I was intrigued in the first place: “Herbed, brioche bread pudding with turkey sausage are stirred into a salt-and-pepper ice cream and streaked with tart cranberry jam,” read the pint. We dug in with the feeling that if the rest turned out to be good, somehow this would find its way. For Sophia it was a hard pass. I was okay with it — the hint of sage, the cranberry swirl…until I dug deeper and got a mouthful of cold, ground, turkey sausage. I think my brain was more confused than anything — I likened it to when you’re starving and the only thing in the house is that old frozen dinner in the back of the freezer. You throw it in the microwave, take it to the sofa, and get a forkful of still-frozen spaghetti bolognaise.
Ranking: 3/10 if you’re just looking for a taste sensation, 8/10 if you’re looking to start a conversation with your guests (as in the following suggested use). Suggested use: Either before dinner or between courses, I would present small tasting scoops of this ice cream to guests, asking them to guess what this ice cream is. If they guess correctly, have a prize waiting (a split of Champagne, some chocolates, etc.). I am certain this would make a fantastic ice creaker at Thanksgiving.
Additional idea: If you’re having a Friendsgiving, you can skip the food and just present these ice creams as the five-course Thanksgivng menu — each paired with a cocktail, wine, or beer!
The Thanksgiving Series is available in Salt & Straw scoop shops across the country, via nationwide shipping, and on affiliate via ShareASale through Thursday 11/27 (Thanksgiving Day).