1980s Classic Treat The Choco Taco is Making a Comeback!
If you were devastated in the summer of 2022 when Klondike discontinued its iconic Choco Taco treat, you’re in for some good news! In case you forgot, the Choco Taco was invented in 1983 by a man named Alan Drazen, a mobile food vendor manager for the Jack and Jill Ice Cream Company. The product was introduced into stores just a year later and had a cult-like following for decades. The ice cream treats used waffle cones to resemble a taco and included vanilla ice cream, fudge, peanuts, and a milk chocolate coating.
Bringing back some ’90s nostalgia when Choco Tacos were sold at some Taco Bell restaurants, Taco Bell is reuniting fans with the beloved dessert! A new version of the sweet treat is coming back, so don’t fret if you missed out on stocking up your freezers with the original. Taco Bell is working with the ice cream company Salt & Straw to create the Ice Cream Chocolate Taco, featuring waffle cone, cinnamon ancho ice cream, dipped in chocolate and topped off with toasted brown rice, for a twist on the original.
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Salt & Straw is known for its unique ice cream flavors and has been featuring its own version of a Choco Taco called a Chocolate Tacolate for a while now. The head chef and co-founder, Tyler Malek, decided to call up Taco Bell and see if the fast food brand was interested in teaming up on a new take on the nostalgic product. Soon, he was invited to the Taco Bell test kitchen, where they created the new menu item.
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Malek said about the new recipe, “The ice cream is slightly spiced and has significantly more butterfat and less air than anything you’ve had before. We use an especially dark chocolate that still holds a rich flavor even after being frozen. On the very top of the taco, we wanted a bit of crunch, so found a rare blend of toasted brown rice that has that effect while also adding an evocative, almost toasty characteristic.” Unfortunately for die-hard fans of the original, it sounds quite different but Malek thinks it might be even better. There will even be a cheesecake dip along with sweet hot sauces to dip it in including flavors of Chocolate Chili, Cinnamon Wild Berry, and Mango Jalapeño.
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He added, “This is what I always romantically dreamt of the old treat tasting like, but that they never lived up to.” Taco Bell has not yet given a release date for the new treat but fans should expect it to be available in summer 2024 at Taco Bell and Salt & Straw locations.
Summer Fun
July 2022
Take a look back to the summer nights when you were young, so full of adventure and possibility.
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