# I see an Ice Cream Cone and I Want to Paint it Black... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394 "2017-04-27T21:15:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/1 "2017-04-27T21:15:44Z")
For those of you feeling too bright and chipper today, we can turn down your optimism with the ultimate in dreary sweet confections > [@](#): > > Little Damage Ice Cream Shop in Los Angeles, California is not launching some pink and purple swirled rainbow unicorn delight as an answer to the latest annoying food trend, but rather going to the dark side, deliciously, with its Goth-inspired ice cream. > This ice cream creation is just what a dark-lipstick-wearing and depressing-poetry-slinging Goth dreams of, with midnight-black, almond-charcoal flavored soft serve ice cream. It’s even served in a black cone! > > The almond-charcoal flavor actually comes via activated charcoal, which sounds vaguely like a face mask but could also be delicious. We’re open. > > Toppings are available if you wish to add some color to your ice cream cone creation, but really, if you’re into hearts and rainbows, you likely wouldn’t be down for this dessert anyway. Dark and moody desserts for all — we’re into it. You can get swirls of hope and rainbows everywhere else on the block (or actually also in other flavors at Little Damage.) > > As cool as this almond-charcoal creation is, it’s actually not the only way to get ice cream as dark as your heart. New York City’s Morgenstern’s served up a hard black ice cream called coconut ash, and black sesame ice cream has existed in Japan for years — you can even find squid ink ice cream in some places. However, Little Damage’s black ice cream and black cone creation looks really cool on Instagram, and ultimately, isn’t that all that really matters? [http://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/restaurantsandnews/this-goth-ice-cream-is-here-to-crush-the-unicorns/ar-BBApxup?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP17](http://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/restaurantsandnews/this-goth-ice-cream-is-here-to-crush-the-unicorns/ar-BBApxup?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP17) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/2 "2017-04-27T21:46:26Z")
It does _look_ awesome. I’d try one. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/3 "2017-04-27T23:25:17Z")
The problem with foods dyed like that is they make your shit purpley, which is not something I am prepared to deal with first thing in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/4 "2017-04-27T23:31:18Z")
Unlike the black burger in Japan that looked frightening, this does look kinda cool and I’d try it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/5 "2017-04-28T00:05:50Z")
It needs to be dipped in red syrup, simulating blood. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/6 "2017-04-28T01:35:29Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > The problem with foods dyed like that is they make your shit purpley, which is not something I am prepared to deal with first thing in the morning. That’s often the case when they make black by mixing individual colors together. According to the story, this ice cream gets its black color from charcoal, which is an intrinsically black, non separating colorant. So it’d make your poop black, too. Not purple. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/7 "2017-04-28T04:25:42Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > [MSN](http://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/restaurantsandnews/this-goth-ice-cream-is-here-to-crush-the-unicorns/ar-BBApxup?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP17) Not a HuffPo link? I’m completely devastated. Next you will be linking to the Daily Mail or something. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/8 "2017-04-28T09:12:15Z")
Moving this to CS because it’s about ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/9 "2017-04-28T09:26:06Z")
Black ice cream is nothing new here in Finland, it’s usually just flavored with [salty liquorice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salty_liquorice) instead. YMMV if you like that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/10 "2017-04-28T11:46:16Z")
Had Rosemary ice cream last night at a beer-food pairing, which was nice. A few weeks ago the same chef served blue cheese ice cream, which was amazing. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/11 "2017-04-28T11:51:55Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Not a HuffPo link? I’m completely devastated. > > Next you will be linking to the Daily Mail or something. Not ALL of my links are to the HuffPo. In fact, most of them aren’t. But they frequently have wonderful weird stuff. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/12 "2017-04-28T12:12:07Z")
It looks interesting but what, pray tell, does almond-charcoal taste like? Is the charcoal strictly for the color? Are there other foods that have charcoal as a main ingredient? Also, I’m not one to be particularly interested one way or the other about the color of my poop but I think I’d be more distressed if it was jet black as opposed to purple or green. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/13 "2017-04-28T12:40:48Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > It looks interesting but what, pray tell, does almond-charcoal taste like? Is the charcoal strictly for the color? Are there other foods that have charcoal as a main ingredient? Also, I’m not one to be particularly interested one way or the other about the color of my poop but I think I’d be more distressed if it was jet black as opposed to purple or green. Ask and you shall receive – The Current Charcoal fad in foods: \*\*Charcoal Is the Latest Food Trend: But Is It Safe? We asked health experts to weigh in on the craze. \*\* [https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/activated-charcoal-in-food](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/activated-charcoal-in-food) \<\<\<\<\<----- Not the HuffPost! > [@](#): > > Just when we thought the latest trend in foods was rainbow, a new color has arrived that threatens to darken the mood. Yes, pitch-black foods (and beverages!) are sweeping the Internet, from hamburger buns and savory crackers to ice cream cones and Ikea hot dogs. > > … > … > … > > “In terms of safety, it’s safe," Morrison says. "But it should be used with somebody’s advice, because if a person uses it incorrectly—like if they take it with a prescription medicine—it can make [the medication] not effective.” For a dissenting view on the results (although not disputing the facts):[http://boingboing.net/2017/04/27/see-you-in-9-months.html](http://boingboing.net/2017/04/27/see-you-in-9-months.html) > [@](#): > > But the same wonderful properties that lets activated charcoal bond to molecules of poisonous chemicals in your bloodstream also lets it snap up other compounds, like your birth-control pills, antidepressants, heart medicine, and other useful substances. > > As craft cocktail maker Avery Glasser discovered when he started investigating the exotic ingredients that mixologists put in their concoctions, the risks of activated charcoal are well-understood by medicine, not so much by the bartending clan. When one doctor was pooh-poohed by a charcoal-using barman, the doctor replied, “No? Great. I’m going to make a cocktail called the See Ya in Nine Months.” ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/14 "2017-04-28T12:51:26Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Ask and you shall receive – The Current Charcoal fad in foods: > > \*\*Charcoal Is the Latest Food Trend: But Is It Safe? > > We asked health experts to weigh in on the craze. \*\* > > [https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/activated-charcoal-in-food](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/activated-charcoal-in-food) > > \<\<\<\<\<----- Not the HuffPost! Thanks, **Cal**. That answers another question I had, which is if it stains your teeth (apparently it does). This will make for some nifty snacks come Halloween time. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/15 "2017-04-28T17:49:33Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > Black ice cream is nothing new here in Finland, it’s usually just flavored with [salty liquorice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salty_liquorice) instead. YMMV if you like that stuff. When I first saw this story, I automatically assumed the pitch black colored would be flavored licorice rather than charcoal almond because I too have seen black licorice ice cream before. CSB time: I’ve never had black licorice ice cream but my father did. Once. He took two bites and threw it away. That was the only time I’d seen him never finish an ice cream cone. The fact he liked black licorice made think that the combination of the two didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/16 "2017-04-28T18:40:22Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > It looks interesting but what, pray tell, does almond-charcoal taste like?.. It’s for fans of burnt toast. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/17 "2017-04-28T19:57:06Z")
> [@digs](#): > > It’s for fans of burnt toast. Speaking of which, I saw someone on PBS making toast flavored ice cream not long ago. It looked pretty great. If I had an ice cream machine I’d make some and report back. Anybody tried it, or even know what I’m talking about? ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/18 "2017-04-28T20:06:51Z")
Hmm… according to [wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_charcoal_(medication)), common side-effects of activated charcoal include “vomiting, black stools, diarrhea, and constipation.” So, still better than a unicorn frappuccino, I guess? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/19 "2017-04-28T21:00:55Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Hmm… according to [wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_charcoal_(medication)), common side-effects of activated charcoal include “vomiting, black stools, diarrhea, and constipation.” > > So, still better than a unicorn frappuccino, I guess? I, for one, would rather poop black than fart rainbows. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394/20 "2017-04-28T21:46:01Z")
Is “I see an ice cream cone and I want to paint it black” the title of a song? 'Cause if it’s not, it should be. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-see-an-ice-cream-cone-and-i-want-to-paint-it-black/785394.md?page=2)