 It’s
a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
Joe, Mike, Luconda, and André Dager, along with a team of other
Velvet employees, share an awesome responsibility: the development
and taste-testing of new ice cream flavors and formulas. It’s a
delicious job that they take very seriously.
"“The food industry is very competitive and we have to keep
up with consumer demand,” Luconda says. “We’re continually improving
or updating favorite older recipes and sampling dozens of new flavors
each year.”
In the course of its history, Velvet has accumulated
approximately 500 ice cream recipes. Currently there are 60 flavors
in production, and every winter Velvet releases seasonal holiday
flavors such as Peppermint Stick and Pumpkin Pie. One of Velvet’s
specialties is their Vanilla, and they offer four variations of
America’s favorite flavor – Olde Tyme Vanilla, Homemade Vanilla,
Vanilla Lovers Trio, and Original Vanilla.
Some flavors, like Tutti Frutti or Butterscotch Ripple, were once
popular but went out of style and were discontinued. Others remain
perennial favorites; Vanilla is, of course, a company mainstay,
and Velvet’s signature flavor, Butter Pecan & Cashew, has been in
the lineup since the 1940s.
In 1988, Joe and Mike Dager began a search for no-sugar-added ice
cream recipes that would meet exacting Velvet taste and quality
standards. The flavors also had to appeal to then company Treasurer
and No. 1 taste-tester, Josephine Dager, Mike and Joe’s mother.
Josephine was diagnosed with diabetes in 1988 and, much to her
disappointment, she was forced to forego her usual taste-testing
of new recipes. Mike and Joe vowed to develop ice cream that their
mother could enjoy safely. Two years later, after lengthy testing
and research, Velvet’s Light line (now called the No Sugar Added
line) went into production.
In 2002, the Dagers once again proved their dedication to finding
the best-tasting and highest-quality ingredients for their ice cream
when they started using the new Splenda sweetener for their No Sugar
Added line. The current stable of No Sugar Added flavors are Raspberry
Fudge, Oregon Cherry Fudge, Mint Chocolate Chip, Butter Pecan &
Cashew, Vanilla, Double Chocolate Fudge, Moose Tracks?, and Caramel
Crunch.
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