A physicist turned chef has put his scientific knowledge to good -- nay, very good -- use by creating a magical ice cream that turns colour as it melts.
Appropriately called Xamaleon (Spanish for chameleon), the tutti frutti-flavored ice cream starts off a lighter shade of indigo.
But after a few spritzes of what Spanish creator Manuel Linares calls his “Elixir of Love,” the frozen treat then morphs into a pink hue in 10 to 15 seconds.
Likewise, with every lick the ice cream continues to turn various shades of pink, thanks to a special formula that causes a chemical reaction upon contact with saliva and acidity.
Though his culinary teacher first laughed at the idea, the innovative ice cream, first reported by Cocinatis, has gone viral over the last few days, with tech blogs picking up the story with keen interest.
The frozen dessert is a hodge-podge of flavors, made with strawberries, cocoa, almonds, banana, pistachio, vanilla and caramel, and is supposedly made with all-natural ingredients.
The novelty treat is also drawing lines at his ice cream parlor IceXperience in the town of Blanes, Girona, north of Barcelona, where it's sold.
Linares said he was inspired by British ice cream wizard Charlie Francis, who snagged headlines last year for his glow-in-the-dark ice cream made with jellyfish protein.
Other IceXperience flavors in the works include an aphrodisiacal dessert made with medicinal plants from Peru and Africa; mojito made with fresh mint and brown sugar; lemongrass; and cheesecake crumble.
