A morning spent on maths, spelling or reading. Or eating 21 icecreams.
Twelve lucky children from Mount Albert Primary school earned the second option when they were selected as this year's tasters for the 2014 New Zealand Ice Cream Awards. But it wasn't all scoops and sprinkles for the children, chosen from their classmates because they were "leaders and future leaders of the school", says their deputy principal Sonia Davies.
Under the direction of chief judge Kay McMath, a dairy sensory scientist who has judged the awards for over 10 years, the seven to 10 year olds looked, smelled and tasted scoops before rating the treats on a scale of really yucky to really yummy. This was not just baby food. Alongside perennial favourites such as bubble gum and hokey pokey were some sophisticated flavours: dulce de leche, cheesecake, licorice and caramel.
McMath noted that these judges were hard: "they don't like mushy texture, they don't like things that are too hard to chew."
To this drooling Herald observer, the children, sporting coloured judge caps from the category sponsor, International Flavours and Fragrances, were serious as they tasted and scored. Baden Campbell, 7, admits his initial excitement turned to shock when he realised he'd have to work his way through all 21 flavours, but his preparation (he claims he eats ice cream five times a week; a parent wasn't there to fact check) paid off. "Not all of us think the same. I didn't like one the others all liked," he states. On the other hand, his tasting buddy, Isaac Nalder was tending towards the more traditional hokey pokey and gumdrops varieties.
Formerly a dairy-only competition, the awards now feature gelato, low fat and sorbet categories, with entries from main supermarket brands as well as boutique cafes and manufacturers. McMath is adamant New Zealand produces the best ice cream in the world.
"In former years, we had judges from Australia or Europe who actually didn't know what real cream tasted like, until I whipped up some of our pure cream. They were used to UHT processed product with added casein," she recalls. "But this year we had some very sophisticated combinations, even cucumber, mint, things you'd see in a fine dining restaurant. It was very exciting."
Older Year 6 students Ruby Peyroux and Maria Boow, who've been working this year with the Food for Thought programme, are proud that they can read food labels and now know that ice-cream is a sometime treat. They reckon the taste-testing skills they've learned from McMath will mean they'll be more discriminating ice-cream consumers in the future. The kids had one final chore - to name their absolute favourite, and keep it top, top secret - until the winners are unveiled on May 22.
