An unusual new dessert offering has set the Internet ablaze.
Unlike many of the people who are currently embroiled in discussions (some more civil than others) about Burger King's new bacon ice cream sundae, I have actually tried it. My experience was… mixed.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
When Burger King announced that it was going to start selling a limited edition ice cream sundae with bacon, a lot of people apparently lost their minds. The Atlantic, unsurprisingly, got all hoity-toity and sniffy about it, calling it "passe." Then an NPR blogger (correctly) took them to task for their snobbishness. And then the entire internet imploded in one long flame war, basically. Some people feel that Burger King is jumping on a bandwagon that's already played out. Other people seem to feel that Burger King is co-opting a grass roots movement, as if bacon has sold out and gone corporate. Power to the people!
In the end, it all comes down to the sundae, doesn't it?
I was surprised at how substantial the bacon pieces were - they were far thicker, and more plentiful, than I would have expected. It had a ton of bacon pieces in it, too. Not just little flecks, but actual chunks of bacon, probably half an inch square. There was a bunch at the bottom, swirled in with the chocolate and caramel, and a ton around the top, too. Plus a jaunty half slice of bacon stuck in the top for added effect.
It had a good saltiness and crunch to it. I particularly liked the bacon pieces that were glopping around down at the bottom with all the chocolate syrup, that part was pretty awesome. And it only cost about $2.50.
On the down side, I encountered a blob of bacon fat (gone cold and clammy with the ice cream). I would describe this as "regrettable." Thankfully there was only one, but you could make the case that even one is too many. Certainly I think back upon that particular aspect of the experience and shudder.
I was on guard for the rest of the sundae. Since everything is all covered with ice cream and chocolate syrup, you can't really pick through it to see what you are eating, and whether it is crispy or... not.
A lesser problem is that it lacked any kind of smoky flavor, which is a pity. If you think about it, without the smoky flavor, you may as well just add peanuts. I don't like the way peanuts get too hard and crunchy when they get cold in ice cream. But then again there would be zero risk of encountering a blob of chilled, damp bacon fat.