Many people consider ice cream a summer treat, just as many people consider hot chocolate a winter drink. If you ask for hot chocolate in the summer, people laugh at you. The same goes for if you ask for ice cream in the winter. This may seem like common sense, however I do not see why we cannot eat these foods year round. There are still days in the summer when I really want hot chocolate, and days in the winter when I really want ice cream.

Last summer I went to a random diner where a drink came with my meal, so when I saw hot chocolate on the menu, I ordered it. They laughed as they brought my my drink, and I knew it was not a common order. It makes sense why people drink hot chocolate in winter: it’s hot and the air is cold. It also makes sense why people eat ice cream in summer: it’s cold and the air is hot. Yet ice cream places stay open in the winter, and places like Kline’s often serve flavors such as pumpkin or peppermint. Hot chocolate is still available in summer, just not as commonly. It can be found in the back of cabinets, discounted in grocery stores or forgotten on the occasional diners menu.

Hot chocolate still tastes the same in summer, and ice cream still tastes the same in winter. It is really just a matter of getting it out of your head that these are seasonal. After all, ice cream taste best when you eat it out in the snow (melting is not a concern), and hot chocolate taste best in 100° weather. If it’s snowing outside, give ice cream a try. When summer rolls around and there is hot chocolate on the menu, take a chance.