But when the brain confronts the menu board at ice cream shops, synapses break apart, neurons scatter in chaos, and all functions cease. The human brain can process only a certain amount of information at any one time. More than 1,000 ice cream flavors exist, although we somehow doubt the commercial viability of garlic, avocado, jelly bean or even date-nut pudding ice cream. Baskin Robbins promises 31 flavors. Marble Slab generally offers 18, from the highly popular sweet cream to bubblegum.
Kids order by color.
We refused to even look at the ingredients on a carton of Chunky Monkey. Despite the availability of ice creams flavored with fruit or nuts or candy or gummi bears, vanilla and chocolate remain the most popular flavors in the United States. Vanilla alone accounts for more than half of the ice cream consumed in North America and more than a quarter of all supermarket sales, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. Yes, we stand in line at the shop, study the menu board intently, glance at each open container of ice cream at the counter and boldly order vanilla. Staff members at both Marble Slab and Milwaukee Joe's consider sales of vanilla and chocolate a constant, but they say other flavors achieve steady sales thanks to the vagaries of individual tastes.