Hitting the gas: Ice-cream without the ice

London – Europe’s first nitrogen ice-cream parlour has opened in London.

The Chin Chin Laboratorists was founded by Ahrash Akbari-Kalhur and his wife Nyisha Weber after researching ‘nitro’ ice-cream for two years.

Instead of a freezer to keep the ice-cream in, this parlour has a 180-litre tank of nitrogen, complete with pressure gauge. Akbari-Kalhur hoses the liquid nitrogen into a metal jug in front of customers and mixes it into an egg custard ice-cream mix.

It takes seconds to make the ice-cream. ‘When you freeze the mixture instantly, you avoid ice crystals so it is a smoother, denser finish on the tongue,’ says Akbari-Kalhur. Customers can personalise the ice-cream with a range of flavours and toppings including basil, violet marshmallow and peanut brittle.

Food experiences are becoming increasingly theatrical and experiential, with science and technology being key ingredients. For more details read our micro trend on Gastro-tech.