This Unusual Ice Cream Has Nearly Vanished — Here's Who Still Makes It

Ice cream's sweet origin could date back to the Tang dynasty, so it's safe to say the cold confection has undergone some changes since its inception. Flavors wax and wane in popularity. Vintage ice creams of yesteryear that were once ubiquitous are now impossible to find anywhere, and among those is the increasingly rare black walnut flavored ice cream. Black walnut is a nostalgic ice cream flavor that highlights the earthy nuttiness of the black walnut, which is bolder in flavor than the English walnut, which is the other main type of walnut and what you can usually find in stores these days.

Black walnut ice cream became popular in the mid-1900s, especially in the Midwest and Southern United States. Jacob Basecke, Executive Vice President of Hammons Black Walnuts, the country's "leading processor of wild-harvested black walnuts," told 417 Mag, "Hammons made it possible for dairies across the country — both regional and national — to feature this unique nut in ice cream, helping introduce it to a broader audience and establishing it as a nostalgic American classic."

One of the original 31 flavors at Baskin-Robbins, black walnut once enjoyed a heyday of popularity, but while it's no longer a staple everywhere you go, some brands still offer it. Blue Bell, Braum's, Belfonte, and Hiland Dairy are just some well-known brands that still sell black walnut ice cream. Devotees of the flavor seem intent on keeping it alive, so much so that we may be eying a resurgence in popularity.

"Black walnut is my favorite ice cream," one Redditor wrote on a thread about the flavor. "Kinda of hard to get in Los Angeles these days. Baskin-Robbins used to sell it in the late summer. The only people I know who like it have some ties to the Eastern and Southern states." Some ice cream shops are keeping the flavor alive. Franklin ice cream put it in the rotation because it was a favorite flavor of the company's co-owner. And if you're desperate to try it but can't find it in stores or ice cream stores near you, it's a fairly simple recipe to make at home, as far as ice creams go.

One of the hardest steps might be getting your hands on actual black walnuts. You can get them shipped from Nuts.com, or go to the Hammons website to find a retailer that sells its black walnuts near you. According to the website, you can find Hammons black walnuts at wholesale clubs like Costco and Sam's Club, grocery stores like Publix, Food Lion, and Sprouts, or even at Walmart. Keep in mind that they will be notably more expensive than English walnuts, but that could be worth the specialty flavor and rarity of such a treat.