Blackcurrant Is The New Cherry

I grew up ignorant of the fact that my beloved Rowntree's Blackcurrant Pastilles, which my mom bought to keep me quiet as an airplane/car snack whenever we visited Hong Kong, came from a confectionary business originally based in York and thus, was one of the many vestiges of British rule in the former colony.  All I knew was that I enjoyed the flavor immensely - not quite grape but similar to a berry.  I'd miss those pastilles whenever I returned home to the US, not for its packaging or chewiness, but rather for the blackcurrant flavor, which doesn't exist in the States.

Imagine my joy then, when I discovered just how ubiquitous blackcurrant is (as a flavor) in the UK: jams, macaroons, sore throat lozenges, squash (a concentrated drink which I will explain in a later post - believe me, it deserves it), blackcurrant is the new cherry, in my book. 

So I've come up with a few ideas that US could take and possibly incorporate blackcurrant into its "flavor scheme", so to speak:

1) Blackcurrant milkshakes - milkshakes a pretty sub par (and quite honestly, disgusting) in the UK.  I propose that places like Frisco Freeze offer blackcurrant on its menu of flavors.

2) Blackcurrant smoothies - similar to milkshakes, chains such as Jamba Juice could make massive blackcurrant smoothies and other juiced goods.

3) Blackcurrant ice cream and popsicles - I'm pretty sure these would fly off the shelves in grocery stores, given the chance.

4) Blackcurrant pie - ok, I'm not proposing that it replace apple pie (let me assure you, nothing is as American as apple pie *eye roll*), but blackcurrant pie would be delicious as a warm summer pie, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

5) Blackcurrant chewing gum - I buy all my crazy flavored gum in the States (watermelon, fruit punch, etc.) so I think Trident should get on the ball and start selling blackcurrant gum.

... and finally ...

6) Blackcurrant Pop Tarts - that would be like my dream come true.  I mean, come on, Kellogg's.  You've done Dutch Apple, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Apple Strudel, Frosted Blueberry, Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Frosted Cherry, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Banana Split, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Frosted Chocolate Fudege, Cinnamon Roll (*DROOL*), Frosted Wild Watermelon (WTF??), Frosted Wild Berry, Frosted Cookies and Cream, Ginger Bread, Wild Tropical Blast (EW?), Hot Fudge Sundae, Frosted Raspberry, S'Mores, Frosted Strawberry, Frosted Strawberry Milkshake, Vanilla Milkshake, Frosted Wildberry, Blueberry Muffin, Cookies 'n Creme and Wild Grape, amongst other discontinued flavors.  So surely Frosted Blackcurrant is on the menu for the near future?  Just a thought, from yours truly.

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