I am not personally one of those people who insist that french fries exist to be dipped into milkshakes. Have I tried it? Yes. Did I like it? Sure! Did I like it more than fries and milkshakes eaten separately but on the same occasion? Debatable. But despite my lukewarm feelings about the inspiration for this new collab between Ore-Ida (purveyor of frozen potato products) and Good Pop (a better-for-you ice cream, popsicle, and soda company), my excitement for the product itself is actually way less lukewarm. One could even call me H-O-T-T-O-T-R-Y-T-H-I-S. What am I so hot to try, you ask? Well, it is pretty much what you would expect in an ice cream bar and fry company collab: the Fudge n’ Vanilla French Fry Pop, coming to stores just in time for National Ice Cream Day on July 21.
In theory, this sounds awesome! But what kind of potatoes will be in there, and how will they keep them from getting soggy? Will it be salty enough? Will this collab “tater my tot” so to speak?
All important questions, so let’s start with what this ice cream pop will be at its core. According to a press release, this potatoey pop “wraps a vanilla oat milk frozen base in a rich, chocolate fudge shell rolled in real, crispy potato bits.” So yes, it is dairy and gluten free (woohoo! see ya never, dairy-induced middle-of-the-night toilet trip), plus it allows people to enjoy what is typically a restaurant-only treat from the comfort of their own homes. If you, like me, are curious what “potato bits” are, it would seem from the image on the packaging that this will essentially be a vanilla ice cream pop coated in chocolate and potato pieces that look a lot like those Shoestring Potato Sticks. In other words, more of a chip vibe than a fry vibe. Or rather, fry-shaped chips. This leads me to believe there will be little to no potato sog factor, and for that, I am eternally grateful. I’m glad they didn’t just throw frozen french fries in with some ice cream and call it a day. As for whether this new ice cream bar will “tater your tot,” I’d say that since Ore-Ida (inventor and owner of the name and concept of tater tots) is involved, if any sweet-and-salty potato product is going to “tater your tot,” it is going to be this one.
If you are interested in trying out this bad boy with your spuddies, you can get your hands on some starting today (Tuesday, July 16) because the Ore-Ida x GoodPop Fudge n’ Vanilla French Fry Pops just became available for nationwide shipping at this link. These spud-studded specialties will come in bags that look just as Ore-Ida as they do GoodPop, and cost $9.99 for a pack of four pops. So this National Ice Cream Day you have no excuse—get potatoes involved in the festivities! You know you’ve always wanted to.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!