French's Mustard Ice Cream Exists, And We Tried It So You Don't Have To

Does the cheese go above or below the burger patty? Is a hot dog a sandwich? Summer cookouts have sparked their fair share of food debates, and this just might be another one: Does mustard ever belong in ice cream? OK, that's maybe not a question anyone has asked — until now. To celebrate National Mustard Day, French's teamed up with Coolhaus to create Mustard Ice Cream. And in case you're wondering, yes, it does contain French's yellow mustard. And yes, we tried it.

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Brave tasters, who love both vanilla ice cream and mustard on their own, had reviews that varied from outright disgust to pleasant surprise. The only person on staff who really loved it and kept going back for more is eight months pregnant, which makes a lot of sense. The opinion of most others was that it's "not nearly as bad as you'd think."

The ice cream was made with a base of cake batter flavoring, then some mustard got added in. "The cake batter flavor to me was much more overwhelming than the mustard, which only added a mild tang," one editor said. "I honestly wish there was more commitment," she added. Oddly, there was a resounding desire for more mustard. If you're going to go for it, you may as well go full throttle.

Someone wondered if the ice cream could achieve Wendy's Frosty consistency. If so, how would the creation taste if you tried to dip a fry in it? Another editor pointed out that honey mustard, an established sweet-yet-savory mustard combo, was a success. So this idea isn't as heinous as it seems.

But not everyone was so forgiving. One editor nearly gagged. "The initial taste is of cotton candy ice cream, but then the mustard hits you like a wrecking ball and you feel as if you've eaten a phantom hot dog." And that strange hot dog flavor lingers.

If you dare try this unexpected ice cream flavor for yourself, it will be available for a limited time at Coolhaus locations in Los Angeles and from an ice cream truck in New York City and the Hamptons starting August 1.

A press release from French's described the ice cream as "the perfect summer treat to be enjoyed poolside, at a birthday party and as the perfect ending at a backyard barbeque." Though the feedback wasn't all bad, that may be going a bit too far. It could be worse, though — you could be serving one of these foods that should never be at a cookout.