For as long as human life continues on this slowly burning planet of ours, celebrities will continue to put their names on just about anything imaginable. Energy drinks may be the current craze, with Logan Paul and Kim Kardashian each announcing their own concerningly caffeinated products, but Cher has set her sights on something as classic as The Sonny & Cher Show: ice cream. More specifically, gelato.
There’s currently an ice cream truck plastered with the “Believe” singer’s face driving around Los Angeles peddling the product aptly named Cherlato. I don’t think it’s the best name, as it looks and sounds like “charlatan,” which would imply that Cher is a fraud peddling crappy grocery store ice cream for three times the price. Apparently, that’s not the case at all: Per Cherlato’s Instagram account, the singer collaborated with New Zealand–based ice cream maker Giapo, and all the Cherlato flavors are unique—allegedly curated by the star herself. According to the official website, Cherlato is made with ingredients from numerous California-based vendors.
For now, Cherlato is only available from the Cherlato truck (as seen above), which announces its location online. To me, Los Angeles seems like an odd place to pilot a gelato line, as the culture is so focused on “wellness” and “guilt-free” food. I imagine most people will place a gelato order primarily for its Instagram potential. But one flavor named “LA, I Love You” sounds like it was specifically designed to draw in the wheatgrass shot crowd: It’s made with flax seed milk and “is organic, gluten, dairy & soy free, nut free, carrageenan free, and vegan.” Sounds delicious.
So, is Cherlato any good? I try to remain as far from the West Coast as possible, but an editor at Yahoo Entertainment tried every flavor, and apparently, it’s worth the $8 price tag. While the writer’s favorite flavor was a rather basic stracciatella, some other unique creations were equally enjoyable, including the coffee gelato served with a doughnut on top and—in true LA fashion—the avocado toast flavor topped with breadcrumbs.
But the vegan “LA, I Love You” flavor is, to me, the most fascinating of them all. It’s served in what looks like a cloud of cotton candy, and Yahoo describes the gelato as “lemony, even tart.” I would be interested in trying this one out of sheer (Cher?) curiosity.
As much as I tend to avoid engaging with West Coast culture, LA has had a few recent food crazes that have made me start to rethink my position. Between Cherlato and the white chocolate Velveeta truffles, I may just have to take a trip to the country’s largest fake city.