Häagen-Dazs' #1 Flavor In The World Outshines Vanilla And Basic Chocolate

Häagen-Dazs is an American ice cream brand with over 200 shops across the U.S. — but that doesn't mean it isn't a globally beloved brand that caters to different tastes. To that effect, Häagen-Dazs has a global destination series of ice cream flavors that branch out from what customers are used to stateside. While chocolate and vanilla are always the top contenders for ice cream flavors worldwide, Häagen-Dazs' number one global flavor, Belgian Chocolate, honors these two flavor giants while going beyond the basics. 

Belgian chocolate starts the way all Häagen-Dazs ice cream starts: with a base of cream, milk, sugar, and eggs to which they blend Belgian chocolate and add delicate chocolate fudge flecks for an especially intense chocolate flavor. Belgian chocolate ice cream is considered a dark chocolate ice cream, made with 72% cocoa. Unfortunately, the Belgian chocolate flavor isn't available in the States. It's sold in the U.K. and European countries, including France. However, Häagen-Dazs does offer a Double Belgian Chocolate Chip ice cream for American customers.

Häagen-Dazs' Double Belgian Chocolate Chip ice cream blends crunchy Belgian chocolate chips into a chocolate ice cream base. Be warned: While you might think it only differentiates itself from the global favorite by adding chocolate chips, customers who've tried both pints say the flavors and textures are vastly different.

Double Belgian Chocolate Chip ranked number one in Tasting Table's ranking of 17 Häagen-Dazs flavors from worst to best, beating out both plain vanilla and chocolate. But our taste tester couldn't get their hands on the Belgian Chocolate flavor to compare the two. That said, customers living abroad who have tasted both the global best seller and the American Double Belgian Chocolate Chip weighed in on why they like Belgian Chocolate best.

One reviewer stated, "I used to like the chocolate chocolate chip (CCC) ice cream, until I met the Belgian chocolate (BC)." Whereas the texture of the Belgian chocolate chip has a textural contrast of crunchy chips to smooth chocolate ice cream, customers think that both the flavor and texture of the Belgian chocolate is superior. Another review proclaimed, "The chocolate flavor is much stronger and the silky texture is just unstoppable. I also love that there's a hint of bitterness in BC [Belgian Chocolate] instead of plain sweetness, giving more depth to the flavors.

Overall, customers think the Belgian Chocolate flavor is much more complex. Customers described the it as "distinctive from all others, with its subtle hint of bitter chocolate." If you're looking for a rich dark chocolate ice cream with more pronounced cocoa notes, Tasting Table's taste tester ranked the best chocolate ice cream brands.