Local ice cream on United
Mar 3, 2019, 12:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: KHH, FUK, SNA
Programs: BR, UA 1k, CX
Posts: 1,181
Local ice cream on United
I flew out of Honolulu (HNL) a few days ago, had nice local (Hawaiian) ice cream. From AKL also local one. I like this as some other airlines tend use Haggen Daz (which I find just OK). This is in coach class (I got Prem E seats which are nice, but will not free any more soon). Out of Taiwan, they also use a local one, but I fly Business class so it if I remember comes in glass cup so I did not know the company. I was wondering out of other cites, what local ice cream did UA choose and was it good. In this case when I am back in Hawaii I will go the shop and try more.
Good ice cream on flight leaving HNL.
From HNL
From AKL
Good ice cream on flight leaving HNL.
From HNL
From AKL
Mar 3, 2019, 5:14 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,222
It would be very tricky trying to cater ice cream on long haul return trips using ice cream brought on the outbound - they would need a lot of expensive freezer space. Anyhow, I find the ones they cater out of the USA to be too sweet for my taste, so happy to have something else on the return.
Mar 3, 2019, 7:22 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
Your use of 'local' is a bit generous. For instance i doubt that 'ice cream mix' guar gum, and corn syrup is produced on the islands, that would have to be shipped in from conus. Also Taiwan and China make extensive use of imported UHT milk, milk fat and MPC/caseinates in their manufactured dairy products. It is definitely not local but that doesn't mean it isn't good.
Mar 3, 2019, 8:52 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Programs: Sometimes known as [ARG:6 UNDEFINED]
Posts: 26,687
Yep, the hyperbolic "Handcrafted in Hawaii" is a surefire indicator that it's not actually made in Hawaii. Else they would have simply said so.
Mar 3, 2019, 9:18 am
#6
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,341
Your use of 'local' is a bit generous. For instance i doubt that 'ice cream mix' guar gum, and corn syrup is produced on the islands, that would have to be shipped in from conus. Also Taiwan and China make extensive use of imported UHT milk, milk fat and MPC/caseinates in their manufactured dairy products. It is definitely not local but that doesn't mean it isn't good.
There's plenty worse (and likely cheaper) options United/catering could have gone with.
Good on you United, and thanks for sharing the pics.
Mar 3, 2019, 9:39 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
I was not critiquing the product in the least but the use of the term local. In fact, let me be more specific. It may very well be that Hagen Daaz could very well use the same exact source for a majority of ingredients that the Hawaii, Taiwan, and Chinese vendors use because of how the structure of manufactured dairy products are. Does this make them less 'local'? Sure the labor is local but the ingredients are global. The NZ product, aside from some of the stabilizers and sweeteners would be NZ produced.
Mar 3, 2019, 10:27 am
#8
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,341
I was not critiquing the product in the least but the use of the term local. In fact, let me be more specific. It may very well be that Hagen Daaz could very well use the same exact source for a majority of ingredients that the Hawaii, Taiwan, and Chinese vendors use because of how the structure of manufactured dairy products are. Does this make them less 'local'? Sure the labor is local but the ingredients are global. The NZ product, aside from some of the stabilizers and sweeteners would be NZ produced.
For NZ in particular; they introduced the (in my opinion) extremely annoying and redundant phrase on pretty much any food item you buy that is "made in NZ": "Made in New Zealand from local and imported ingredients."
Ridiculous, because they aren't required to actually say which ingredients come from where.
Last edited by narvik; Mar 3, 2019 at 10:34 am Reason: error in description of labeling
Mar 3, 2019, 12:04 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ Diamond/*G, IHG Diamond Amb, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,239
From PVG they used to have Nestle but they updated their catering page to say that they serve "dessert", not ice cream like when the new catering concept in Y was first introduced in 2015. Now they serve this really disgusting unbranded mousse on the same tray as the main meal.
SFO is some salted caramel Villa Dulce ice cream IIRC.
SFO is some salted caramel Villa Dulce ice cream IIRC.
Mar 3, 2019, 2:43 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,952
Agreed, but I'll go ahead and say that, for Asia in general, "local" ice cream, including Haagen Dazs, is inferior in quality because of the unavailability of fresh cream (also butter for baked goods and confections). Japan also has difficulty sourcing fresh dairy and in a consistent standard like we have in the West. Otherwise, it's prohibitively expensive such that mass production invariably relies on foodstuffs and additives imported from US/OZ/NZ/Canada.
Mar 3, 2019, 3:20 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: KHH, FUK, SNA
Programs: BR, UA 1k, CX
Posts: 1,181
My main point for posting is that United has options, and made a choice of better Ice Cream (better in than say Haggen Daz or Wal Mart Ice cream) as in Hawaii and New Zealand it was not the cheapest option. Something United does better than EVA or Cathay Pacific. EVA I wish would choose as local option as Taiwan has growing list local brands from local farms (Eastern and central mountains of Taiwan)
Mar 3, 2019, 3:37 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 502
Coming out of SFO they have had three twins.... which is incredibly delicious and made in Sonoma County (Petaluma).
https://threetwinsicecream.com
https://threetwinsicecream.com
Mar 4, 2019, 5:10 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: KHH, FUK, SNA
Programs: BR, UA 1k, CX
Posts: 1,181
Coming out of SFO they have had three twins.... which is incredibly delicious and made in Sonoma County (Petaluma).
https://threetwinsicecream.com
https://threetwinsicecream.com