The Ferme Paradox: NMSU's New Ice Cream Flavor

I scream, you scream, we all scream for New Mexico State University’s newest flavor of ice cream.

Inspired by NMSU’s newly appointed president, Valerio Ferme, researchers in NMSU’s Center of Excellence in Sustainable Foods and Agricultural Systems developed a new flavor of ice cream, caramelized pecan and biscotti, or “The Ferme Paradox.”

The ice cream honors NMSU President Ferme’s Italian heritage through its use of creamy vanilla and biscotti, while also honoring his new ties to New Mexico, the number one state in pecan production.

The ice cream was developed by a team of researchers led by Sergio Martinez-Monteagudo. The project served as more than just a fun experiment. Martinez-Monteagudo conducts research to improve the quality of ice cream and reduce waste in its production. His research projects have received funding from companies like Blue Bell Creameries and Blue Bunny Ice Cream.

“This ice cream is wonderful, of course — but it’s much more than that. … It’s a brilliant way to showcase the incredible consumer-driven food science research being done in our College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and to make hands-on learning fun and engaging for our graduate students,” Ferme said in a news release.

The ice cream flavor was unveiled in a tasting event on Feb. 6. All 25 liters that had been prepared were consumed. The university is working to bring the presidential ice cream to market and sell it on campus, though it may take several weeks.

“If you work in ice cream, you know that it’s really, really hard to make a bad product. … So, I knew people would like it. But I didn’t expect to run out of ice cream. I was expecting some leftovers to take home, but there was nothing left,” Martinez-Monteagudo said in a press release.

Researchers hope that the ice cream raises awareness to the college’s Center of Excellence in Sustainable Foods and Agricultural Systems, and all the research being done there.