Candy Corner: The Maple Creemee

by Erik

As I mentioned last week, I just spent some quality time in the great state of Vermont -- which I loved more than almost anywhere I'd ever been. Still, there are some unique cultural differences in Vermont that take a bit of getting used to. I'd like to recount a conversation between myself and my significant other upon seeing multiple signs and ads for ice cream stores selling "Maple Creemees."

Me: "Maple ... Creemee? What's that?"

Her: "Really? You can't figure it out?"

Me: "Well, it sounds like it's some weird Quebecois sex position. 'Hold still, eh? I'm aboot to do da Maple Creemee.'"

Her: (Stunned silence. She doesn't take kindly to people making fun of Vermont. Or the Quebecois, apparently.)

Me: "Some sort of Vermonter stomach ailment? Like 'Montezuma's Revenge' but, you know, based on the theory of eating too much maple syrup?"

Her: (Deeply frowning.) "Why would they put signs up for something like that?"

Me: "Good point ... maybe they're advertising some sort of cure, like Pepto Bismol. Oh, I bet they're just a bunch of ground up Canada Mints! 'Oh, I was goin' out to milk the cows but I got da maple creemees and had t'come in ... I'm gonna need me a whole bag of Canada Mints to shut these creemees down."

Her: "I hate you. It's maple-flavored, soft-serve ice cream."

Me: "Oooh, let's get one!"

So, after stopping at the nearest maple creemee dispensary, I found myself in the possession of a large soft-serve ice cream cone that for all practical purposes looked like a slightly browner version of a vanilla cone. The taste, too, was VERY similar to vanilla but with a very pleasant maple overtone. It complimented the vanilla, but didn't overwhelm you with raw maple sweetness. It was one of my favorite maple-themed products I tasted while in Vermont.

According to Google, debating who has the best maple creemee is a long-lived Vermont tradition, so if you ever should pass through Burlington, Montpelier, Newport, Barre, Westminster, or any other Vermont locale ... do yourself a favor, stop, and get a maple creemee.

{Photo used under Creative Commons from sarahsemelka.}