These fluffy creamy creations are flash frozen with liquid nitrogen.
No, that’s not Dr. Victor Frankenstein behind the counter, or cartoon kid Dexter in his laboratory. The mad scientists at work here, amid a cloud of cold steam rising from big colorful machines, are making ice cream.
Their secret ingredient? Liquid nitrogen.
Named after the chemical element’s freezing point, Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s -321° Ice Cream Shop (288 Grand St.) makes the tasty scoop in front of customers by using machines that resemble megasize KitchenAid mixers. These giant contraptions mix the cream base with liquid nitrogen, freezing it in minutes and creating a steaming effect similar to dry ice.
“The clouds come from liquid nitrogen evaporating, and it’s like a show — and a treat for my customers,” Allen Ruan, owner of -321°, tells The Post.
It’s more efficient than the traditional process of ice-cream making, which churns and freezes milk and sugar for hours, says Ruan. The shop offers eight flavors — which range from classics such as strawberry and cookies-and-cream to more eccentric options including green tea and lychee blueberry — and serves them sundae-style in a cup. Among the oddball toppings are Kit Kat bars lightly dusted with matcha powder and
“Liquid-nitrogen ice cream is a huge hit on the West Coast,” says Ruan, 33, who opened the store in September and is now in his first liquid-nitrogen summer. The ice cream cups sell for $6.50 each.
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.