Golnazar is a producer of one of my daily staples: ice cream. While normally ice cream for me is a topping for pie, crisp, or a warm brownie, or the base for a decadent sundae with toppings of its own, sometimes even I have just a bowl of ice cream, particularly when the flavors are unique.
Enter, Golnazar.
Golnazar does not make traditional "American" ice cream, as it actually is an Persian brand, started outside the US, back in 1947! It only expanded to the US in 2006.
I was first introduced to this style of ice cream by my partner's mother, who got it for me as a treat when I visited once, as she knows what I sweet tooth I have, and their family never has sweets around. It was really unique to me at the time, both the concept of having the big chunks of frozen cream in the ice cream, and using rosewater to sweeten it. It was a saffron and pistachio flavor I tried then, from Saffron and Rose, a Los Angeles area ice cream shop fairly famous for the Persian ice cream. You can read all about my encounter in my review.
I was excited to try the Golnazar version to have a comparison point. I tried several varieties, and although I can note the quality, I wasn't particularly a fan of the flavors. I guess my palette just isn't adjusted?
"The perfect combination of Saffron Ice Cream, fresh pieces of pistachios and fresh frozen cream chips to produce an unforgettable taste."
The first I tried was the saffron pistachio, since that was the variety of Persian ice cream I had before, and I wanted to use it as a comparison and baseline.
It really was much the same - saffron flavored ice cream, studded with chunks of pistachio and chunks of cream, sweetened with rosewater. It wasn't as sweet as the Saffron and Rose version, and not as floral, so, Golnazar definitely handled the rose water better, at least for my palette.
The bits of pistachio were kinda soft somehow even though frozen, and added a nice texture. The bits of cream were much smaller in this one, much less dramatic than in the Saffron and Rose version. I think I prefer the larger chunks actually, but these were certainly still present.
Overall, it was fine, but not really "OMG, I need more of that". A bit icy in texture, a fairly mild rose/saffron flavor, bits of pistachio and cream ... eh?
"Pure, Rich creamy texture made with light aroma of rose water and pieces of fresh frozen cream chips. The delicate rose flavor of Golnazar Creamy Rose ice cream will make your guests' eyes light up."
The Creamy Rose was another similar flavor to what I had before. Slightly icy texture, same big pieces of frozen cream chips, and, well, very sweet.
I thought it went nicely when I had a scoop of rose and a scoop of pistachio together, but on its own, it was a bit too much.
"Rich creamy texture made with natural pomegranate flavor and dark chocolate chunks."
This was a nice quality ice cream, creamy, and it melted perfectly. I liked the dark chocolate chunks.
But the pomegranate flavor wasn't for me. I didn't care for this one much at all, and kept wanting it to be black raspberry chip instead.
Enter, Golnazar.
Golnazar does not make traditional "American" ice cream, as it actually is an Persian brand, started outside the US, back in 1947! It only expanded to the US in 2006.
"Golnazar Gourmet Ice Cream has melted the hearts of Americans with its use of top quality ingredients and rich and unique flavors. With a time-tested commitment to excellence and legacy of crafting superior tasting ice cream, Golnazar Gourmet Ice cream has quickly become an international favorite among foodies, families and kids of all ages."The style is unlike the ice cream most Americans are familiar with, with chunks of fresh cream embedded in it, and is eggless. The flavors are also not ones most Americans are familiar with: saffron, cardamom, rosewater, dates, pomegranate, and pistachio abound (although they do make vanilla).
I was first introduced to this style of ice cream by my partner's mother, who got it for me as a treat when I visited once, as she knows what I sweet tooth I have, and their family never has sweets around. It was really unique to me at the time, both the concept of having the big chunks of frozen cream in the ice cream, and using rosewater to sweeten it. It was a saffron and pistachio flavor I tried then, from Saffron and Rose, a Los Angeles area ice cream shop fairly famous for the Persian ice cream. You can read all about my encounter in my review.
I was excited to try the Golnazar version to have a comparison point. I tried several varieties, and although I can note the quality, I wasn't particularly a fan of the flavors. I guess my palette just isn't adjusted?
 |
| Saffron Pistachio. |
The first I tried was the saffron pistachio, since that was the variety of Persian ice cream I had before, and I wanted to use it as a comparison and baseline.
It really was much the same - saffron flavored ice cream, studded with chunks of pistachio and chunks of cream, sweetened with rosewater. It wasn't as sweet as the Saffron and Rose version, and not as floral, so, Golnazar definitely handled the rose water better, at least for my palette.
The bits of pistachio were kinda soft somehow even though frozen, and added a nice texture. The bits of cream were much smaller in this one, much less dramatic than in the Saffron and Rose version. I think I prefer the larger chunks actually, but these were certainly still present.
Overall, it was fine, but not really "OMG, I need more of that". A bit icy in texture, a fairly mild rose/saffron flavor, bits of pistachio and cream ... eh?
 |
| Creamy Rose. |
The Creamy Rose was another similar flavor to what I had before. Slightly icy texture, same big pieces of frozen cream chips, and, well, very sweet.
I thought it went nicely when I had a scoop of rose and a scoop of pistachio together, but on its own, it was a bit too much.
 |
| Pomegranate Chocolate. |
This was a nice quality ice cream, creamy, and it melted perfectly. I liked the dark chocolate chunks.
But the pomegranate flavor wasn't for me. I didn't care for this one much at all, and kept wanting it to be black raspberry chip instead.
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