Locust beans — but where are the locusts?

January 15 is National Strawberry Ice Cream Day.

Did you know that, according to Punchbowl.com, Dolley Madison served strawberry ice cream at President Madison’s second Inaugural Ball in 1813? Neither did I, and I’m sure I’ll forget it soon.

Below, a 1984 commercial for Breyer’s natural strawberry ice cream makes the point that their product has only four ingredients—pure milk, fresh cream, sugar, and strawberries—so the label takes a lot less time to read than that other brand, which lists all kinds of polysyllabic words that could take all night to get through, especially if you’re a poor reader.

Among its many puzzling ingredients, the other brand has locust beans in it, which is especially disturbing to the clerk and the shopper, who wrinkle their noses and say “locust beans?” in unison as if the other brand had actual locusts in it.

Note the quaint absence of people yakking on their cellphones, asking, “Honey, which brand of strawberry ice cream should I get? The one with locust beans or the other one?”

Breyer’s strawberry ice cream commercial (1984)

Have a berry good National Strawberry Ice Cream Day!

Related articles

• National Strawberry Ice Cream Day (examiner.com)